The Followings of a Hero and his Princess
by lolkatzzz
Summary: We all know the story of Ocarina of Time. However, what would happen if Princess Zelda accompanied Link on his adventures? Zelink.
1. Introduction to a Legend

The Followings of a Hero and his Princess

Pairing: Zelink

Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda, it's characters, or the general gist of this story (kudos to Shooting star180 for letting me use your idea).

Summary: When the paths of a young forest boy, a dangerous thief and a princess cross, Hyrule will never be the same. OOT novelization with Zelda following Link on the adventure.

A/N Hiyas! Well, I've wanted to do this for a while, so thank you S.S180 for letting me use the idea (from her story True love is in the air). Being the avid Zelink fan that I always am, there will be plenty of little Zelink moments throughout the story. I will pick the story up from right after Link gets the Kokiri Emerald. Review and enjoy!

Far away, in the land of Hyrule, there lived a race of people deep within the forest. Confined by everlasting childhood, the forest people are guarded by the Great Deku Tree, a wise tree residing at the far end of the forest. The people were forbidden to leave the forest, for terrible things happened to those who wandered the fields alone, especially the people of the forest, called the Kokiri. The Kokiri look mostly like normal Hylians, for every resident had uniquely pointed ears and wide eyes. The only thing that set the Kokiri apart was that a fairy companion guided each member.

The fairies themselves were small. However, they glowed incandescently, allowing a ball of light to envelope them, covering all but their wings. They could alert a Kokiri of an approaching person, point interesting things out, or just hover by the Kokiri and listen like a faithful pet. Most Kokiri received a fairy on their first birthday. Only one Kokiri had not yet received a fairy. The boy's name was Link. But one day, the Great Deku Tree had summoned a twelve-year-old Link. On that day, a fairy appeared before him, guiding him into the dark depths of the Great Deku Tree.

"Damnit." Link swore as something lashed out and made a deep cut on his cheek. The boy was clutching a small sword in one hand and a slingshot in the other. Looming over him was an armored insect, the monstrosity named Gohma.

"Link, slingshot it in the eye!" Navi cried out, fluttering nervously around Link's head. Link back flipped out of the way of a fatal blow and dropped to his knees.

"Get inside my hat. I don't want to risk losing you." Link ordered. Though his voice was demanding, his intentions were good. Navi slid under Link's hat and continued to whisper words of advice into his ear.

Link leapt to his feet and sidestepped a charge from the parasitic Queen Gohma. He fumbled in his bag and pulled out a seed. Just as he was aiming, Gohma lashed out and struck his arm, sending the seed flying. Link swore again and grabbed a second nut. This time, he worked a bit faster and let the seed fly into Gohma's one eye. The eye rolled in Gohma's head and the fiend dropped to the floor, convulsing terribly.

"Die!" Link yelled and struck out with his sword. His slashed at the beast over and over again until he finally heard a cry of defeat. Gohma shuddered once more, then it's scales fell away until it was nothing more than a skeleton.

Link stared as the body revealed a glowing heart-shaped stone. He walked over to it and cautiously picked it up. Navi slid out from under his hat and fluttered around the stone, examining it closely.

"This stone is what kept Gohma alive for so long. You might as well keep it. It might increase your stamina as well." She reasoned. Link nodded and slid it into his bag. He turned around to see a blue light. He stepped into it slowly and felt himself being raised into the air.

Link felt a slight tug and suddenly there was land beneath his feet. He stumbled a little, but quickly gained his footing. The Great Deku Tree, his mouth still open as it had been, looked forlorn.

"I defeated Gohma. You're safe now." Link panted. He finally dropped to his knees, relishing the break.

"I'm afraid not, Link. You were valiant and successfully defeated Gohma but," before the Great Deku Tree even said it, tears formed in Link's eyes for the impending statement, "it seems that you are too late. I'm going to die." Link's eyes went wide, tears finally dripping down his cheeks.

"It's my fault. If only I had tried a bit harder…" Link trailed off. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, allowing more tears to streak down his face. He ran over to the tree and beat fist against the bark.

"Do not blame yourself. I was doomed from the start. However, my life is slipping away and I have something to tell you." The Great Deku Tree said, his bark already beginning to grey. Link nodded and sat down before the tree.

Far away from the forest, Princess Zelda was dealing with her own monster, her dreams. Night after night, she'd been having strange dreams, dreams of death and destruction. Though she'd doubted it in the beginning, she was starting to believe that they were prophecies. The dream itself was of dark clouds covering Hyrule. An unidentified figure would laugh evilly and stand tall, gazing upon the waste that was once a prosperous Hyrule. Suddenly, a beam of light would shoot down from the heavens. A figure clothed in green and followed by a fairy would descend from the light and run towards the figure in black. The light would follow, and everywhere it went, the land revived to it's usual state. The lighted figure would reach out with a sword and the dark figure would be illuminated long enough to see his green skin.

"Excuse me, father. I have something to talk about. It's my dreams." Zelda said softly, peering into her father's bedroom. Her father sighed and beckoned his daughter inside.

"As much as I want to believe this one, Zelda, you've been claiming too many prophecies." Her father said. Zelda sighed in exasperation, closing the door carefully behind her.

"You didn't even know what I was going to ask!" she cried. She was trying to keep her voice down, but it was hard when one was so exasperated.

"Yes, but we've had this conversation at least twice a month. You are beginning to wear down my last nerve." Her father roared. Zelda winced, wishing her father would not be so loud.

"I know, but I'm sure of this one!" she cried, forgetting that she was trying to argue against assuming what she was to say.

"Zelda Harkinian, if you do not drop the subject and leave my room at once, I shall make sure that Impa punishes you accordingly!" her father yelled, pointing towards the door. Zelda stepped back, looking let down.

"Why can't you believe me anymore?" she asked quietly. Her father only looked sternly towards the door. Zelda gave him one last pleading look before turning around and running out the door.

The next day, Zelda was standing on tiptoe and peering into a small window. She was in her courtyard, spying on her father's meeting. She was watching one man in particular, the Gerudo King Ganondorf. His green skin was ominous, and Zelda was being careful not to be seen. She was about to hear a proposition from the man when she heard a rustle. 'Oh no, I've been caught spying.' She though in despair.

"Excuse me, might you be Princess Zelda?" an unfamiliar voice asked. Zelda caught her breath and turned around slowly. Standing before her was a boy with green clothes, followed by a fairy.

"Yes. My name is Zelda. May I inquire your name, sir?" Zelda asked, being as polite as she could. The boy's dirt covered and tearstained cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

"There's no need for formalities, Princess. I am merely a Kokiri. My name is Link." The boy introduced himself and bowed deeply. His clothes were tattered and he looked as if he hadn't eaten in several days.

"Link, is that a fairy?" Zelda asked suddenly. Link looked taken aback by the question. The innocent, inquisitive look on his face was adorable.

"Of course. What else would she be?" Link asked. Zelda blushed, the blatancy of her question dawning on her.

"I'm sorry. I've never seen a fairy, so I wasn't quite sure if she was…" Zelda trailed off, trying to cover her embarrassment with curiosity.

"That's okay. Not many Kokiri leave the forest. Her name is Navi." Link explained.

"So Link, what did you want to see me about?" Zelda asked, refraining from immediately pouring out the secret of her prophetic dream. Without saying anything, Link, shuffled around in his bag and pulled out a green stone.

"The Great Deku Tree told me to give this to you right before he…" Link cut his phrase off, but Zelda knew what he was trying to say. Zelda walked up to Link and gently took the stone from him.

"It's the Kokiri's Emerald, the divine stone of courage." She explained, half to Link, half to herself. Link nodded.

"The Great Deku Tree was killed by protecting it. We came to find you, knowing that you probably had an answer." The tiny fairy said. She tinkled a little, probably in sadness from the freshness of her guardian's death.

"I see. Link, I know that we have just met, but I have a proposition for you." Zelda said seriously. She handed the stone back to Link and beckoned over to the window.

"I have been having prophetic dreams about the fall of Hyrule. In my dreams, there are three major factors, the black clouds, the beam of light, and a gleaming sword. I believe that the sword is the legendary Master Sword-" Zelda started.

"Master Sword?" Link asked, scratching at the back of his head.

"I'll explain later. Anyways, I think that you represent the beam of light, and I think that this man represents the dark clouds." Zelda explained. She turned around and pointed into the window. A man with green skin and red hair was kneeling before the king. Link stepped up to the window to get a closer look. The man turned his head and stared at Link. It was the worst feeling he'd ever experienced. As the yellow eyes pierced his soul, he felt as if his very strength was dwindling. He was forced to duck.

"Did he see you?" Zelda asked nervously. Link lied and shook his head. Zelda sighed in relief and continued her explanation of her dream.

"In order to stop Ganondorf from taking over Hyrule, we need to find the other two Sacred Stones. Then, we can open the door to the sacred realm and use the Master Sword to defeat Ganondorf." She smiled as if it was easy.

"What is the Master Sword?" Link asked finally. Zelda looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged.

"Honestly, I don't think anybody knows except for the Godesses." Zelda sighed. Link tilted his head. He obviously did not understand. Zelda grinned and returned to her explanation.

As Link took in the princess's theory about the fall of Hyrule, he couldn't help but notice her features. He'd never seen somebody so beautiful, except for Saria. Thinking of Saria made Link tear up again.

"Link, are you okay?" Zelda asked, reaching out and patting him on the shoulder. Link nodded, blinking back the tears and staring into Zelda's eyes.

"So, what exactly can I do to help you? I mean, I'm only a Kokiri." Link said. Zelda shook her head.

"That's where I was about to get to. I don't think that you're just a Kokiri. You worked hard to get the emerald and left the forest, didn't you?" Zelda asked. Link was silent. "Anyways, I need you to gather the rest of the sacred stones before Ganondorf does. Do you think that you can do that?" Zelda asked.

"I don't know, Princess. I'm only a child. This is such a big responsibility. But," Link knelt before the princess, "I will try as hard as I can to carry out your wishes." Zelda pulled him up and stared into his eyes.

"I never doubted you, Link. And I'll be there to help you the entire way." She said.

"To help me? Zelda, that's insane! You're the princess!" Link yelled. Zelda tilted her head.

"I know that. How does that stop me from helping you?" she asked.

"We couldn't get anywhere without someone looking for you. Plus, if you got hurt, it'd be my entire fault. I can't let you risk yourself like that." Link said sternly. Zelda sighed.

"I can disguise myself. And don't think that boys are the only ones who can defend themselves. That's very sexist." Zelda said, closing her eyes and crossing her arms. Link stepped back, turning red.

"That's not what I-" Link started. Zelda cut him off.

"I will come with you, and if you try to abandon me, I will tie myself to a tree and cry for help. When the knights arrive for me, I shall tell them that you did this to me." Zelda said. Link's face fell. Zelda opened one eye and smiled. "Just kidding. But I would be annoyed and probably attach myself to your arm." She said finally.

"Fine you can come. But if things get rough, I will personally escort you back to the castle and tell them that you insisted on following me." Link sighed, rubbing his temples wearily.

"I'm glad that's settled. Now, we're going to need to get out of here without being caught. Do you have any suggestions?" Zelda asked. Link thought for a moment, then nodded.

"I've got a couple of ideas." He said with an evil grin.

Link was just grabbing his sword when a strong arm grabbed him from behind. Link gulped, color draining from his face. However, Zelda only laughed, looking amused at Link dangling in midair.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" a female voice asked. Link struggled to turn around and saw A rather old lady had him suspended by the back of the tunic.

"Impa, put him down, he's with me. We were just going out for a bit." Zelda giggled. Impa shrugged and dropped Link.

"Then allow me to escort you out." The lady grinned.

A/N I know, twas short. However, it was fun to write. Please review!


	2. To Kakiriko

The Followings of a Hero and his Princess

Pairing: Zelink

Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda, it's characters, or the general gist of this story (kudos to Shooting star180 for letting me use your idea).

Summary: After Link and Zelda set out on their quest, they realize that their journey will take them far away from home, and up a dangerous mountain. But, if they want to succeed, they have to face dangers that they'd never imagine.

A/N It's chapter two! Thanks to those who reviewed, and to those who didn't, please make a little time to try. I've also discovered that everyone spoke in perfect (or near-perfect) grammar in the last chapter. Now I can see Zelda doing that, but Link, so I'm tweaking his speech a tad. Also, there's a little Japanese in Malon's entrance, just to give her character a little diversity. Ta!

Link's night was restless. He and Zelda had found a hidden place outside of Kakiriko village where the skeletons did not lurk to rest in. Zelda had fallen quickly asleep, for she was not used to constant travel. However, Link was too grief-ridden to close his eyes. Instead, he watched Zelda's body rise and fall with her soft, even breathing. Her blonde hair was splayed across the ground and her dress was already wrinkled. She looked so serene in contrast to the dangerous surroundings.

Link's own hair was a mass of blonde tangles and other miscellaneous forest things. His green hat was balled up and laying besides his other items. His forest tunic was still on, but he needed to wash it soon. He had left his boots beside his hat, and they were starting to wear thin. Link clenched his eyes shut in hopes to bring sleep on. It didn't come. Instead, he sat up and stroked a piece of Zelda's hair.

Zelda was the most beautiful girl he'd ever laid eyes on besides his best friend, Saria. It was rare to see such a girl, especially for Link. He realized that soon enough, her pretty face would be covered in scratches.

"I should take her back. But then she would hate me, and I can't have that." Link said. He was about to scoop her up and walk her back to the castle, but he refrained. He could already hear Zelda yelling,

"Link you sexist cucco! I can fend for myself!" Link winced at the sting of her imaginary words.

Link still wasn't tired an hour later. So he picked up the sleeping princess and carried her carefully to a safer place inside the village. After he was sure that she was safe, he turned and ran out into the field. As if his footsteps cued them, two stalkids popped out of the ground.

"Go away." Link sighed. He ran past them towards a large shape in the distance. As he did, the sun began to rise. 'Oh, great. Zelda's gonna wake up and realize I left her behind.' Link mentally groaned. Just as he finished the thought, a rooster crowed and the stalkids disappeared.

Link could swear he heard, far away, an angry female voice cursing him. He sneezed once and ran quicker towards the large shape. From his position, he could tell that it was building of sorts. He slowed down in front of the entrance to take it in. It was a ranch, Lon Lon Ranch to be exact.

"Might as well find out who lives here." Link reasoned. He took a few slow steps when he heard a scream. 'Oooh boy' Link mentally groaned and hightailed it into the ranch.

Link stumbled and stopped running to ready himself. He looked around the ranch and took a deep whiff of the farm air. He was about to walk into one of the doors, when he heard a scream.

"Ohayo!" a female voice screamed. Link, assuming it was Zelda come to assassinate him, he turned and ran deeper into the ranch. 'I'm gonna get it this time…' He thought in misery. However, in his train of thought, he collided with a girl.

"Itaii…" the girl groaned. She had fallen onto her butt and her red hair was in her face. 'Itaii…itaii….what does that mean?" Link scratched his head, but nothing came to him. The girl stood up and helped Link up.

"Daijoubu?" she asked. Link racked his brain, but nothing came to mind about what she was saying.

"Er, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." He recited the first nonsense word that came to mind, not knowing that Mary Poppins would recite the word hundreds of years later.

"Oh, sorry. You don't speak Japanese, do you? I was expecting a foreigner to come look at our products. Oh listen to me, I'm rambling. My name's Malon!" the girl said cheerfully.

"Link." Link said, shaking her hand. Malon pulled her hand away quickly and looked at it.

"Your hands are rough, are you from the forest?" Malon asked. Link nodded. 'She seems really familiar.' He thought, trying to remember where they'd met. Most of his memory was of his and Zelda's conversation the other day.

"Have we, uh, have we met before?" Link asked. Malon rubbed her nose thoughtfully, then looked back at him.

"I remember! You woke up my father with that cucco I gave you. You're the fairy boy!" Malon cried. Link thought a moment, then remembered the few moments that they'd interacted.

"Yes, that was on my way to see the," Link paused, his face paling, "princess. Princess Zelda!"

"What's wrong, fairy boy?" Malon asked.

"The princess, she and I are... doing something today and I was supposed to go, um, meet her!" Link said, trying to cover his mission up as best he could. Malon tilted her head to one side.

"Are you two going out?" she asked seriously. Link's face reddened right to the tips of his ears. " 'Cause if not, I'm always available. Hee hee, just kidding." She winked and crossed her arms.

"Yes, well, I'll see you later Malon." Link nodded as he turned around.

"Come and visit me tomorrow!" Malon cried after his retreating back. Link gave no reply. Malon uncrossed her arms and sighed. She was about to turn and leave when a man came walking up the path.

"Ah, Miyamoto-san, ohayo!" she cried, rushing up to shake the man's hand.

"If that boy left me for the adventure, I'm going to-" Zelda said. She couldn't complete the sentence though. There was nothing she wanted to do to Link. She stood up and flopped back down again, as if about to do something, then deciding not to.

"Princess Zelda! Princess Zelda! I'm sorry that I was gone so long!" Link yelled. He was running up the stairs to Kakiriko's gates when he tripped and landed on his face.

"Where were you? I was worried that a stalkid had wandered up here and picked you off!" Zelda fumed. Link got onto his knees and rubbed his face.

"I was going to see who lived in the ranch. A girl I met on the way to see you came up and started speaking this weird language called Japaneesse or somthin' like that." Link said.

"Japanese." Zelda corrected and helped Link to his feet. Link examined himself for scratches and noticed that his shield had a crack in it.

"Damn it, my shield's cracking." Link swore, pulling the shield from his back and looking it up and down. "And this was very special to me." He groaned.

"Don't worry, I know a place where we can buy a sturdy shield. You wait here, and I'll be right back." Zelda said, heading for the exit. Link ran after her and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Oh no you don't. I'm not lettin' you go anywhere without me. You could get hurt." He said sternly. Zelda shrugged him off and continued to walk down the path. Link ran up beside her.

"I'm perfectly capable of going by myself, but if you're too scared to stay alone, you can go." Zelda said. Link first looked exasperated, then angry.

"Wha-? I'm not scared! I just wanna make sure that you don't break a nail, princess!" Link cried. Zelda smirked, but kept walking down the path.

"You don't have to hide it, Link." She laughed. Link blew some air out of his nose and sat down where he was.

"I'll show you! See, I'm not scared, I'm-" he stopped, realizing he'd been duped by the princess. "Fine, see if I care when your left arm gets decapitated!" he yelled after her. All he heard was the princess laughing in victory.

About an hour later, Zelda returned. She was lugging a blue and white shield with interesting designs on it with her. Link ran up to her and took the shield. It was so heavy that he nearly dropped it.

"It's a little heavy, ne?" Link asked, hoisting it onto his shoulders and pulling off his old shield. He looked at it fondly one last time, and then set it against the gate.

"More than just a little." Zelda joked. She showed Link her palms and winced. A sharp part of the shield had bit into her hands, and there were two bloody lines streaking across her palms.

"I told you not to get hurt!" Link yelled. Zelda rolled her eyes as the two began to walk towards farther into Kakiriko.

"It's just a scratch. Plus, we have more important things to worry about now. Like, where the next Spiritual Stone is." Zelda said.

"You said there were three stones, right?' Link asked.

"Of course." Zelda replied. Link thought for a moment, pausing in midstep.

"What are they called? I know that the green one is Kokiri's Emerald, the Divine Stone of the Courage, but what are the others?" Link inquired, resuming his slow-but-steady pace.

"Goron's Ruby, the Divine Stone of Power, and, um…" Zelda paused to think. "Oh yes! Zora's Sapphire, the Divine Stone of Wisdom." She cried. The two were silent as Link contemplated the names.

"Isn't there a race called the Gorons?" Link asked. Zelda nodded. Suddenly, the thought hit her like a bag of rocks.

"Of course! The Goron's Ruby is on the top of Death Mountain, where the Goron's live! How could I have been so stupid?" she asked herself. She grabbed Link's hand and began racing towards Death Mountain.

"Zelda, this is dangerous!" Link yelled, trying to keep up with the girl.

"If the Goron's can live on Death Mountain, we can travel there. Plus, I'll have you, the great protector of the Triforce, there to keep us safe the entire way!" Zelda screamed back.

"No, I mean running this fast! We're gonna run into somebody!" Link replied. As if on cue, Zelda ran smack into the guard at the gates to Death Mountain. She and Link were sent sprawling across the ground.

"Ow…I'm so sorry, Mr. Guard sir." Zelda apologized like a little girl. She looked very flustered. Apparently, she wasn't used to being ungraceful. The guard looked sternly down at the two kids.

"You shouldn't be playing around here. It's dangero- Princess Zelda? Is that you?" the guard asked. He helped Zelda to her feet, leaving Link to get up on his own.

"Yes, it is." Zelda said importantly. Link smacked his hand to his forehead. 'So much for incognito.' He thought wearily.

"You should be careful around here, princess. You could get hurt running around with this maniac." The guard advised. Zelda smiled and nodded as Link fumed silently.

"We wanted to play a game on the mountain. Could you please open the gate?" Zelda asked, widening her eyes into a shining look of hope. The guard frowned, rubbing his nose.

"As much as I would like to let you pass, it's not safe up there with nobody to watch you." He said sternly. Zelda's smile twisted into a frown. She grabbed Link by the sleeve and pulled him over beside her.

"The Gorons will look over me. Plus, I have Link here to defend me." Zelda said, shoving Link into the guards face.

"Wha, huh? Oh, right. I'm the princess's guardian for now. She'll be safe with me, believe it!" Link yelled, pulling out his sword and hovering defensively around Zelda. The guard laughed and Link's face fell.

"Okay, Mister Hero. Protect the fair princess and mayhaps you'll win a kiss." He joked. Both Zelda and Link's faces turned red as the guard laughed. He opened the gate for them and nodded. The journey up Death Mountain had begun.

A/N Yayz! I know this was a quick update, but I'm on a roll here! Review! Please…


	3. Distance

The Followings of a Hero and his Princess

Pairing: Zelink

Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda, it's characters, or the general gist of this story (kudos to Shooting star180 for letting me use your idea).

Summary: While visiting the Gorons, Link and Zelda learn of Dodongo's Cavern and the lack of food. In order to get the Goron's Ruby, they are going to have to clear it out. However, Zelda's extended absence is causing Impa to come search for the princess. If they are caught, the mission will ultimately fail.

A/N I'm really sick right now, so it's a good opportunity to update again. I am grateful for the reviews, but I would like to thank KRP especially. You gave me what I was expecting, constructive criticism. So, thank you KRP and, everyone, please keep reviewing. Also, Zelda's hair has been fairly long, just so you know.

Link and Zelda walked up the mountain trail in silence for about an hour as they contemplated the journey before them. It was Link who first broke the silence…

"Princess, it's not too late for you to turn around and go home. This is gonna be dangerous, y'know. If anything happened to you, I'd" Link cut himself off. They both knew what he was thinking,

"If anything happened to me, you'd never forgive yourself and the kingdom would exile you for letting their princess die. I know, you've said that a hundred times. Loosen up, Link. The world isn't on you shoulders, and I can protect myself, thank you very much." Zelda explained in irritation. Link blushed and looked away.

"I know. I just don't want you to get hurt." Link said. Zelda grinned and punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"I'll be fine. You just focus on finding the two other stones, and I'll be right here to back you up." Zelda smiled. Link looked back up and managed to grin slightly. Soon enough, all uneasy silence was broken as the two engaged in conversation.

Another hour passed by quickly, and soon enough, Link and Zelda could see an extra large boulder. It looked a little out of place, even on a mountain such as Death Mountain. Link frowned and ran ahead.

"Link! Wait up! It's a lot harder to run in this dress than you'd expect!" Zelda yelled, lifting her dress slightly and attempting to catch up with the forest boy.

"Just wait there, I'll be right there." Link yelled. He turned around, making sure Zelda remained in his sight, and turned back to the boulder. Zelda huffed, dropping her dress and walking closer to Link. She was about to pick up the pace again when something dropped in front of her face.

"Huh? What's this?" she cried.

Link whirled around quickly, immediately neglecting the stone to focus on the princess. Zelda was face-to-face with two red Tektites. She was backing up hesitantly, but the Tektites were advancing on her.

"Zelda, get down!" Link yelled. He took a running leap and drew his sword. Coming down on one of the Tektites, he made a long gash on it's back and kicked it's body out of the way. However, the other Tektite had lost interest in the princess and was approaching Link hungrily. Link held his sword out threateningly, but the Tektite jumped over him, catching him off guard. Link whirled around to see it bouncing in for the kill.

"Kyaa!" Zelda yelled. A red light engulfed the Tektite and it's body slowly disintegrated.

Link caught his breath quickly and ran to the princess' side. He bent down, grabbing his knees and gasping for air.

"What do you think," Link paused to take a deep breath, "you were doing?" Zelda rolled her eyes and pulled Link out of his bent over position. She placed his hands on top of his head and sighed, crossing her own arms.

"If you're going to get this tired after every battle, at least learn that bending over makes it harder to breath. It's not my fault. _You _told me to stand back." She said huffily. Link's face fell at the memory. It was his fault that the princess had been hurt.

"Well, next time, run to me before you get hurt." Link growled. Zelda gave him a look that she clearly used on the guards when she wanted to leave without any knights following her.

"It's kind of hard in this dress." She retorted, lifting up her dress slightly as a visual example of her handicap. Link looked at Zelda strangely. "What?" the princess asked.

"Close your eyes." Link warned. Zelda gave him an untrusting glance, but closed her eyes accordingly. Link took all of Zelda's long hair in his hand. He pulled it taut, causing Zelda to yelp.

"What do you think your doing?" Zelda asked. Link was silent. He put his sword to a place on her hair gently. Zelda opened her eyes just in time to see her long, blonde hair cut to her shoulders.

Zelda was in a daze as she watched Link toss her hair off the side of the cliff. She watched Link brush off his hands and fiddle with her hair a moment longer before she snapped.

"Link! Who the hell do you think you are? You can't just cut my hair!" she yelled, slapping Link on the face. Link winced, but he managed to chuckle as he rubbed his new red mark.

"Well, now guards won't recognize you if we pass by. But, Zel, I've never heard you say anythin' uncalled for before. I'm proud." He joked, getting on his knees.

"That won't stop Impa if she happens to be around. She's known me since I was a baby!" Zelda yelled. It was almost as if her elegant image had fallen away with her hair.

"I'll warn you next time, 'kay?" Link said, still on his knees. Though Zelda wondered what he was doing, she was in no position to pull him up.

"That won't stop me from roasting you." Zelda huffed. She looked down at Link, who was now examining the end of her dress. "Okay, I give up. What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm warning you now, I'm about to cut the end of your dress off." Link said. Zelda rolled her eyes.

"Ha ha ha, Link." She snapped, still fuming over her loss of hair. Link shrugged, keeping his eyes on the dress. He mumbled a little, then made a clean cut around the dress, cutting off enough to see Zelda's shins. Zelda's eyes widened in horror and exasperation

"I tried to warn you." Link sighed. He examined the frayed ends of the dress. Zelda snatched it away. Link only followed, attempting to pull off some strings. They repeated the process and eventually, Zelda's skirt caught on Link's head.

"Heh heh…er, nice, uh, nice flowered, um, nice flowered underwear." Link mumbled in embarrassment, pulling his head quickly from under Zelda's skirt and blushing madly.

"Pervert!"

Back at Hyrule Castle, everything was in an uproar. The princess had been gone for two days, and nobody had seen her or heard from her besides one guard in Kakariko Village. Impa was blaming it all on herself.

"I shouldn't have let Zelda out with that boy. She's always been so responsible, always coming back before night. Maybe the boy kidnapped her." Impa frowned, bowing her head before the king.

"Impa, I want you to find her. If you don't, you'll lose your job here, or worse." The king glared. Impa began to back towards the door, never taking her eyes off the floor.

"Yes, oh great King of Hyrule." She said in a monotonous tone, as if this was as trivial as the cuccos at Kakariko being lost again. She turned around and opened the door.

"I want her back soon, Impa. If you don't come back with my daughter in five days, I'm sending out the Royal Knights, and you will come back in and hope that your job is all that you lose." The king said sternly.

"Yes, my king." Impa agreed. She turned, bowed deeply, and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

As Link had expected, the rest of the journey up the mountain was nearly silent. Besides exchanging a couple directions, no speech passed. The only sound came from the bell in Kakariko, chiming off the hours. When they finally reached the entrance, Link held Zelda back, looking in the room to make sure it was safe.

"Would you let me go? As you've seen, I can take care of myself, thank you very much." Zelda broke the uneasy silence. She pushed his arm out of the way and began to walk into the room.

"Goddesses, women are so sensitive." Link muttered. Zelda stopped walking and whirled around. Link realized that he'd made a mistake and hoped he wouldn't be told off again.

"You cut my hair off, cut my dress, and look at my undergarments and you say I'm just sensitive? Well, you're the exact opposite! You're an unfeeling monster!" Zelda yelled. Link huffed.

"I knew I should have left you at the castle." He sighed, rubbing his temples. This made Zelda angrier than ever.

"Are you saying I'm burdensome because I get angry with you when you do bad things? Then maybe you should have sent Gohma and Ganondorf home! Oh wait you can't! This is both of our adventure, Link. You can't just send me home because I don't follow you like a mute puppy." She crossed her arms.

"You've got it wrong. I should've left you at the castle 'cause," Link grabbed Zelda's shoulder and looked her in the eye, "then you wouldn't have had to have all of this happen to you."

Another uneasy silence passed over the two. Though both wanted to enter the Goron City and see about the Goron's Ruby, neither could. They just stood there, staring at each other for a long time.

"O-oh." Zelda finally managed to stutter. She and Link finally broke eye contact, each looking in a different direction. There was another silence, but it was much shorter.

"Come on, Zelda. I'm taking you home now." Link said. He grabbed Zelda's hand and began walking down the path. For the first time, she was beginning to think Link was right. Maybe she was destined to stay in the castle. However, with this thought came the need to save Hyrule. Undoubtedly, Link needed her help and much as she needed his.

"No. I can manage." Zelda said, breaking their grip. Link turned around and grabbed her hand even tighter, making Zelda flinch. She sent a tiny spark of magic through her fingertips, causing Link to release her and shake his hand.

"If you have trouble handling a haircut, you'll never survive out here. I've seen these battles up front. You will get hurt, and I don't know if you'll be able to handle it. It's dangerous and scary. You need to see that." Link said sternly.

"I'm staying. If you have to see this, I'll be there to cover your eyes." Zelda smiled. Link's eyebrows rose, as he understood the phrase.

"I'm still not too sure about this." Link said. He seemed to be standing his ground, but Zelda could see that she was breaking through to him.

"Give me a chance to prove I'll be okay." She pleaded. Link thought about it, then nodded hesitantly.

The two walked into the Goron City together. Zelda could tell that Link was fighting the urge to inspect every corridor to make sure it was safe. She chuckled and looked around the Goron City in amazement.

"It's amazing." Link sighed breathlessly. He took a few steps to the edge of the platform. He looked down and saw at least quite a few Gorons gathering on the bottom floor alone. Suddenly, he spied a rope, stretching all the way out to a platform where a lone Goron sat dejectedly.

"So, where do we start looking?" she asked. Link pointed out over to the platform. "There? But how?" she asked, shaking as she imagined many ways to get across, each more dangerous than the last.

"I figured we could cross that rope." Link said as if it was the most ethical thing in the world. Zelda shivered, a tingle running up her spine.

"You're not serious, right?" she asked nervously. Link raised his eyebrows and put a foot on the rope. He shook a little, but was soon able to put his full weight on the rope and take a step.

"Are you coming?" he asked, turning around slowly so not to fall. Zelda nodded hesitantly and stood at the edge of the rope. Link edged forward a little to let Zelda on. Zelda grinned nervously and put a foot on the rope. Immediately, she felt the world fall from beneath her as her foot slipped.

"Gotcha!" Link yelled. He grabbed Zelda's wrist and held it tightly. Zelda gasped, looking down at the floor far beneath her. Seeing this made her shake. Link suddenly stumbled. The extra weight was pulling him down.

"Link, be careful!" Zelda yelled. Link attempted to put more weight on the other side of the rope. After a few fearful moments, the two evened out. Link bent down and tried to grab Zelda's other hand, but he couldn't reach.

"Okay, Zelda. I need you to grab onto the rope with your other hand. Remember, I've got you." He said, his voice shaky. Zelda nodded and reached up. Suddenly, Link realized his mistake. "No, don't!" he yelled. It was too late. Zelda had grabbed onto the rope and put her full weight onto it. Link's feet slid off the rope and they both went plummeting towards the floor.

"I'm sorry." Zelda yelled over the roar of the wind. The few moments in the air felt like ages to her. She closed her eyes, expecting to hit the ground. However, she stopped moving in a slightly less brutal manner. She opened her eyes.

"I told you that I've got you." Link winced. He had managed to get under Zelda and catch her before she hit the ground. He promptly fell to his knees and passed out. Zelda scrambled out of his arms and shook him.

"Link!" she cried. The normally loud and happy city was silent. Not a Goron in the city had missed the event.

A/N Poor kids, being dropped three stories for the sake of a story. Please review! Praise and constructive criticism are welcome. Flames are used to roast marshmallows.


	4. Saria

The Followings of a Hero and his Princess

Pairing: Zelink

Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda, it's characters, or the general gist of this story (kudos to Shooting star180 for letting me use your idea).

Summary: Link and Zelda are in hot water when they are chased by Impa and pressured to clear out the Dodongo's Cavern. With Impa drawing nearer and every move they make a chance of death, they have to work together to stay alive, let alone finish their mission.

A/N I ish alive! Thanks for the reviews and advice, and please continue reviewing. I am trying to keep this as realistic as I can, but it's difficult, so bear with me as I try and get things organized. I remembered that I accidentally skipped Saria, so just assume Link knows Saria's Song. Also, Malon has been moved to after this dungeon (for the curious).

"Link!" Zelda cried, horror overtaking her tone. The Gorons who had witnessed this were rushing over to her and hovering over Link, asking questions about what she was doing and who Link was.

"Why are you here?" One asked as another hoisted Link onto his shoulder and began to carry him away. Zelda ignored the questions and ran after the Goron carrying Link.

"Where are you taking him? Is he going to be all right? Who are you?" Zelda asked, grabbing Link's sleeve and holding onto it tightly.

"Don't worry, your highness. Your boyfriend will be fine. We have two or three people fall off of there every year. I'm just taking him to another room with more room to breath." The Goron said.

"He's not my boyfriend." Zelda mumbled, blushing. The Goron laughed and turned a few corners, Zelda trailing two steps behind him. Soon enough, they'd reached an empty room. The Goron laid Link on the floor and began checking his vital signs.

"So, princess, what were you doing here in the first place? It's unlike you to travel without any guards." The goron said thoughtfully. Zelda's mind raced as she tried to think of a good explanation. In the end, the truth was the best answer.

"I see. So you think this man, Ganondorf, is trying to take over Hyrule?" the Goron asked. Zelda nodded. The Goron looked amused. Zelda scowled, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I'm not making this up. I had a vivid prophetic dream that despair would befall Hyrule unless Link and I stopped Ganondorf's evil plans." Zelda stated truthfully.

"I'm guessing this boy is Link." The Goron said. Zelda nodded. "Oh, how rude. I haven't introduced myself. My name is Marble." Marble introduced.

"Very nice to meet you, Marble." Zelda greeted. It was odd to call somebody by the name of a rock, but maybe it was a custom with the Gorons.

"Well, princess, as far as I can tell, Link here will be waking up soon." Marble said. Zelda sighed in relief. She knelt beside him and examined him. Usually, he had an aggravated or concerned look on his face. Seeing him so calm was different.

"Uggh, my head. Wuzzugoinon? Zel?" Link groaned, opening his eyes slightly. Zelda grinned and hugged Link tightly. Link blushed slightly and pushed her away.

"I'm so glad you're okay! You've been unconscious for a while now." Zelda commented, grabbing his hand and pulling him into a sitting position.

"Whaddaya mean? What happened?" Link asked. Zelda looked at him quizzically. Marble had bent down and was checking his pulse again.

"He may not remember what happened. When he passed out, he hit his head pretty hard." Marble explained. Zelda frowned, trying to think of the best way to explain this.

"What, I passed out? What's going on?" Link asked, jumping to his feet. Zelda pushed him back down to the floor.

"We had a little fall, but you're okay now." She explained. Link frowned, his brow wrinkled. Marble stood back up again, nodding.

"So, Zelda tells me you need an audience with Darunia, the king." She said, helping Link to his feet. Zelda was about to protest, but Marble stopped her.

"We do? Why?" Link asked.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that Darunia has the Goron's Ruby, or at least knows where we can find it." Zelda explained. Link nodded in agreement. "Thank you for taking care of us, Marble." Zelda thanked.

"Anytime. If you need anything, just ask." Marble smiled. She directed Link and Zelda to Darunia's room and walked back outside to explain what had happened to the confused Gorons.

"Well, how do y'suppose we get in?" Link asked, examining the sturdy rock door up and down. The only interesting part about it was the royal mat at its entrance. Zelda looked at it thoughtfully.

"Well, it has the royal mat, so maybe it takes some royal identification." She pondered. Suddenly, she was struck with an idea. "Link, do you have any instruments with you?" she asked.

"Well, I have an ocarina that my friend Saria gave me, why?" Link asked, befuddled. He pulled out his ocarina. Zelda took gently it and examined it carefully.

"This'll do." She commented. She gently rubbed the mouthpiece with her sleeve as Link looked at her in confusion. Zelda put the ocarina to her lips and played a short but beautiful melody. As the last notes of the song faded, the door slowly moved aside.

"How'd you do that?" Link asked, snatching the ocarina and checking it over to see if it was hexed. Zelda chuckled.

"It's the Royal Family's song. We call it Zelda's Lullaby because my mother used to play it for me at night. It helps prove that you're acquainted with the Royal Family." Zelda explained. She peered into the room and walked in. Link followed after performing a mini exorcism on the ocarina.

"Um, Mr. Darunia?" Link asked quietly. He found himself facing one of the largest Gorons he'd ever seen. Darunia glared sternly at the two children.

"I heard the Royal Family's song, and I was hoping for the Royal Messenger. All I get is a shabby princess and a little cross-dressing punk." Darunia spat irritably.

"Watch it! You're talking to the princess of Hyrule and her protector." Link yelled. He began to run at Darunia, his sword drawn. Zelda grabbed him by the collar and held him steady.

"Link, cut it out." Zelda whispered harshly. Link stopped running and pulled out his ocarina. He stared at it thoughtfully, contemplating its "magical properties". Suddenly, he was reminded of being in the forest with Saria when he was angry or upset. Saria would always play a certain song for him, and he would feel better.

"I hope my exorcism didn't wipe away all of it's magic." Link said quietly. He put the ocarina to his lips and tried to remember the song that Saria had played so many times.

"What are you doing? Get out of my room! Scram!" Darunia yelled. Link racked his brain, trying to remember the song. Suddenly, an image of Saria appeared beside Darunia.

"Don't you remember our song, Link?" she asked with a giggle. She pulled an ocarina out of her pocket and played a melody. Link reached out for her, but after she finished playing, Saria waved and dissipated.

"Thank you, Saria." Link murmured. Darunia was about to explode when Link repeated the song. He played it several times. Suddenly, he felt a presence beside him, playing along with him. The boy and the spirit played the song once more before Link looked beside him. There was only a shimmer in the air.

"What was that all about?" Zelda asked. "Your face is all red. You look like you saw a ghost or something." She asked. Link shrugged.

"It's not like I'm blushing or nothin'." Link said defensively. Darunia had become uncharacteristically quiet. He crossed his arms and looked down at Link.

"Play it again." He said sternly. Link jumped about two feet in the air and pulled out his ocarina.

"Wha-?" he asked, fumbling with and fingering the mouthpiece. Darunia rolled his eyes and continued to look at Link sternly.

"What are you, deaf? I said to play it again." He ordered. Link rubbed the back of his head, and then began to play the song again. Darunia was silent for a few more moments, before breaking out into some strange, unknown dance moves. Link faltered, stepping back, but continued to play.

"Link, now he's crazy! What kind of song is that?" Zelda asked over Link's playing and the thumping of Darunia's feet hitting the floor over and over again. Link shrugged, looking obviously freaked out. He took a step back from the dancing Goron. However, he managed to trip on the rug and fall onto his butt, sending the ocarina flying across the floor. After he had retrieved the ocarina, Darunia had stopped dancing.

"Woah! That felt great! I haven't felt so rejuvenated since Ogniky gave me that lava and river water concoction. Woo!" Darunia sighed, closing his eyes and smiling widely.

"I-I'm glad you're feeling better. Now, if you don't mind, could we ask a favor of you?" Zelda asked weakly.

"Of course. Shoot." The large Goron said, opening his eyes to look at Zelda seriously. Link had managed to stand up and replace the ocarina without breaking anything, and was now standing before Darunia pretending to know what he was doing.

"We're on a quest, and we wanted to have your Goron's Ruby for a little while." Zelda asked timidly, afraid to say anything that would set the Goron off again. Darunia thought for a moment as Link asked Zelda quietly what was happening.

"I have decided. You may have the Goron's Ruby," Link's eyes lit up, "if you can clear out Dodongo's Cavern. We Goron's eat rocks, but the best rocks are in Dodongo's Cavern. However, King Dodongo and his minions have infiltrated the place. We have become such gourmets that we can't stand anything but the best rocks. If you don't help us, we will die." Link's face fell.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Zelda said sadly. Link bowed his head, weighing the advantages and disadvantages. Of course, the overruling goal outweighed all trivial details.

"We'll do it." Link agreed. He adjusted his hat and looked at Darunia with a piercing determined gaze.

Meanwhile, Impa was hot on Zelda's trail. She was at the entrance to Death Mountain, wondering what could have possibly possessed the princess.

"It's getting a little late, Impa. Maybe you should rest." The guard said concernedly.

"I can't. The princess could be hurt right now. Or worse. If you see Zelda or that boy she was with, get me right away." Impa replied. The guard faltered, but opened the gate and allowed Impa in.

Just outside of Darunia's room in a hallway, Link and Zelda had stopped to discuss their plan.

"That was very nice of Darunia to give us these bracelets. Hey Link, what are you doing?" Zelda cried in alarm. Link had pulled off his tunic and was down to his tights. Zelda averted her eyes quickly.

"Take that off." Link said, pointing to Zelda's dress. Zelda gasped and smacked Link across the cheek.

"Pervert!" she cried, turning away from Link and clinging to her dress protectively. Link rubbed the red mark on his cheek gingerly.

"I didn't mean in front of me. I meant so you could put this on. It's too conspicuous for you to be walking around in a torn dress." Link stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He offered his tunic to her.

"Oh. But then what will you wear?" Zelda asked, hesitating, but taking the tunic and checking it for random insects that might have lingered from his "adventures" inside of the Great Deku Tree.

"I'll buy one at that Goron shop we passed. They're bound to have some kind of tunic." Link said. He began to walk towards the store, looking very awkward in tights and a green hat.

"Haven't you ever heard of no shirt, no shoes, no service?" Zelda cried after him. Link didn't respond.

A/N Another short chapter. Yes, I know it's illogical for the Goron Shop to sell green tunics, but it isn't now. Authoress powers mua ha ha ha ha! Heh, don't forget to review.


	5. Dodongo

The Followings of a Hero and his Princess

Pairing: Zelink

Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda, it's characters, or the general gist of this story (kudos to Shooting star180 for letting me use your idea).

Summary: In Dodongo's Cavern, fears are realized and the silent night terrors of children run rampant. Link and Zelda must chase away fear and beast alike to survive. It doesn't help that Impa is hot on their trail. Luckily, the Gorons are hungry enough to let out a few red herons…

A/N I'm going to be formatting this in the style the manga does it, about one room in the dungeon, then straight on to the boss. For those reading this for action, this is a good chapter. It's the first full boss. Though, if you are squeamish about bloody/gory descriptions, you may want to skip a bit of the fight. Please review! If you do, you get an imaginary cookie from my imaginary cookie jar shaped like a triforce! Yes, I know that's not logical.

Link and Zelda were now both fully clothed and ready to set out on their journey into the cavern. Zelda, wearing Link's old tunic, was a little less ready than Link, however. Despite the weaklings they'd been fighting, their biggest battle was looming in the near future.

"Ah, Link, you've fought big monsters like this before, right? What's, ah!" Zelda cut herself off. Link had twisted his arm around. A long, thin scar was running from his shoulder to his elbow.

"I got lucky on this one. Gohma could've cut off my arm." Link said. Zelda suddenly broke into a cold sweat.

"You're really milking this hero thing. That Gohma wasn't as bad as you make her out to be." A voice from inside Link's hat tingled. Navi slipped out from underneath Link's hat.

"You couldn't let me have one moment of glory, could you?" Link asked and doing the most mature thing he could think of, sticking out his tongue and showering Navi in saliva.

"You're nasty." Navi spluttered, diving back under his hat. Zelda gave a nervous chuckle.

After a bit of walking through the city, Link and Zelda had ended up outside in the bright sunlight. They rubbed their eyes for a moment, then began to walk down the trail.

"Shit…" Link trailed off quietly. Zelda was about to inquire what was wrong, but Link clamped a hand over her mouth. He pointed silently down the path. Zelda's eyes widened. The unmistakable form of Impa on a royal horse was riding quickly up the path.

"Listen, she can't tell us apart from here, but we gotta move quick, or she's gonna find you, and I'm gonna be in a whole lotta trouble. Savvy?" he asked. Zelda nodded. Link looked around hurriedly for a place to stay. He saw a little pathway leading off of the main path. He motioned for her to follow, releasing her mouth. The two dashed into the nook. There they saw a Goron.

"Hey, what are you two kids doing here? It's dangerous to be so high up." The Goron said loudly. Zelda flinched and put a finger to her lips urgently.

"We need you to hide us, quickly." She whispered in a rushed tone. The Goron looked quizzical. "Please? We're on a mission to get your food back, and we can't do it if we're caught." She pleaded. They could hear the pounding of the horse's hooves on the dirt. Link and Zelda pressed themselves against a wall. They were going to be caught. Suddenly, the light was cut off. The Goron had moved in front of them.

"Hello, sir." Impa said, pulling her horse to a stop. The Goron nodded politely. "Have you seen two children with blonde hair around here lately? One has long hair and is a girl, one has short hair and is a boy." Impa asked.

"Can't say I have, ma'am. We usually have the hylian public school visiting on other days. But if you really want to know, go check with our leader. He knows all of the goings-on in this place." The Goron lied smoothly, as if everything he said was true. Zelda sighed silently in relief.

"Sorry to bother you. Have a nice day." Impa nodded and leapt off of her horse. She took one last look at the Goron, who shifted slightly to give Link and Zelda more cover. He waved politely as Impa entered the city.

Link and Zelda waited a moment for the coast to clear, then scrambled out from behind the Goron. The Goron was silent.

"Thank you so much for guarding us like that. We really appreciate it." Zelda sighed thankfully. The Goron looked stern, unlike the way the other Gorons looked.

"I don't know what you two are doing, or if you'll really open the cavern, but I trust you. I risked a lot for you." He said. An uneasy silence followed.

"Why were you up here all by yourself? Must've been a good reason." Link asked. He examined the area. It was plain, except for a single strange plant.

"I was shading this bomb flower. They like to grow in the shade." He stated plainly. Link walked over to the plant.

"Is it really a bomb?" Zelda asked. The Goron nodded.

"Yeah, and they grow really quickly, too." He said. Link suddenly had a mischievous grin. He ran a finger around the fuse of the bomb flower.

"I have an idea of how to open the cavern." He grinned. "But, princess, you're gonna have'ta clear the path. I don't want fried Gorons." He stated with a positively evil look in his eyes.

Soon enough, Zelda had encouraged the Gorons to clear the way. They had moved pretty far away, but not far enough to miss the supposed miracle that was to happen.

"You say the fuse lights as a chemical reaction when the plant is plucked, right?' Link asked. The Goron nodded nervously. "Okay, then. Tallyho." He grinned. He grabbed the plant by the base and chucked it over the edge of the cliff. It bounced off of the boulder and exploded, sending rock shards flying every which direction.

"Wow! That was great, Link." Zelda cried. She pet him on the top of the head and the two began to walk down the path. Link stopped short and turned around.

"Thank you. We'll be sure to mention you." He said. The Goron smiled as the two children walked off.

The inside of the cavern was unbearable. The instant one put a foot in it, it was like stepping into a pool of lava. That was not far from the truth. The cavern was made up of a few tunnels, a central platform amongst a pit of lava, and the gaping Dodongo mouth made of skeletons compacted together by heat and a twirling laser statue in the center of the platform. Before all of this was a small room, where Link and Zelda had decided to discuss their battle plan.

"Link, are you sure you're ready for this? It's a pretty big task." Zelda explained nervously. She pressed her index fingers together over and over. Already the heat was getting to her. She wished that she had some water.

"We have to be able to fight a few monsters for the good of the kingdom. I don't know how terrible this 'King Dodongo' is, but he can't be much worse than Gohma. The question is, Zelda, are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes. I may have backed out in other fights, but I can hold him still for a short period of time, a few seconds, maybe. I can also use a few spells, a fire one and a protection one." Zelda said. She was trying to look brave, but she was shaking visibly.

"Good. Then, we best be off. I bet the king is in that structure. Y'know, the one that looks like a mouth." Link stated, pointing it out for her. Zelda nodded, and the two stepped into the main room.

"We can jump across to the platform, but look out for that statue. It will zap you." Zelda said, pointing to the rotating figure. Suddenly, something caught his eye.

"Look. Y'see that skeleton? It hasn't been fully attached, and it's holding something." Link said. He turned Zelda's head slightly to see it.

"I see it. It looks like a bag of some sort. We should grab it on the way out. It might be important." Zelda figured. Link nodded. He grabbed Zelda's hand, causing so red faces, and leapt across the gap to the main platform. They walked out of the way of the statue and up to the bag.

"It has a marking on it. I can't read it." Link complained, ducking out of the way of the statue's gaze.

"It's ancient hylian. It's a bomb bag." Zelda read. Link pried the bag from the skeleton's fingers and walked deeper into the mouth. Zelda stood frozen for a moment, but followed behind him quickly.

The mouth led into a big room. It seemed free on any enemies, so they took a moment to open the bag. It was filled with bombs the size of small rocks.

"They're tiny. How can they help us?" Link asked. Zelda quickly pulled the drawstring on the bag and sealed it shut.

"They expand when fully exposed to air. They work just like bomb flowers, only portable." Zelda explained. Link nodded, then took a look around the room. It was empty, except for a slight crack in the center.

"Where d'you suppose the king is?" Link asked. Zelda shrugged. She walked up to the crack with a sudden idea. She examined it, then darkness clouded her normally bright eyes.

"He's under here, hiding. You have to bomb it. I don't know if he'll come up or we'll go down, but this is it." Zelda said. She was shaking more visibly than before, and her vision was blurred.

"It's time, then. I'll open it. If a hole opens, I'll go down first. If I give you a signal, come down. If I don't, go get Darunia." Link said. Zelda nodded. Link pulled a bomb cautiously from his pouch and set it on the crack. As Zelda had said, it expanded. They backed up and watched a hole open. Link peered down. He could see a huge lava pit surrounded by a strip of land.

"Be careful." Zelda advised. Link nodded, and dropped through the hole. A moment later, she heard a scream.

"Link!" Zelda cried. Disregarding his last comment, she slid through the hole. She landed ungracefully behind Link, who was on the ground, clutching his shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked. Link lifted his hand for a moment. There was a deep gash in his shoulder, and it was bleeding heavily.

"Zelda, whatever you do, don't turn around. Get behind me, then look. Don't make any sudden moments and don't scream." Link said seriously. His carefree tone was gone. It was replaced by a serious, fearful tone. Zelda walked behind Link slowly and turned around. Despite her efforts, she screamed.

King Dodongo was an image straight out of a nightmare. Easily three times Link's size, he loomed like a giant over the children. He looked like a dragon, with scaly brown skin and long, dangerous tail. The only difference was his face. It was like an overblown lizard, with slit-like eyes and a wide mouth. There were spikes running down it's back, pointed and yellow. It opened it's mouth and roared. Blood was dripping off of it's front teeth; Link's blood.

The dragon took a deep breath, about to blow them away with fire stronger than any normal Dodongo's. With a new urgency, Zelda grabbed a bomb from Link's bag. Before the beast could exhale, Zelda tossed it in his gaping maw. The beast swallowed it and, with a small explosion, fell to the ground. Link seized the moment and ran forward with his sword, blood trailing from his wound. He made a deep gash in the king's nose. The monster cried out, green blood dripping down his nose and into his mouth. He curled into a ball and began to roll towards Link. Zelda froze the monster for an instant.

"Link, move!" she cried. A second later, she released it in exhaustion, leaving Link a tiny gap to move. The monster rolled past Zelda, just brushing her cheek, but cutting it open.

"Thanks. Are you okay?" Link cried, running after the beast despite his injury. Zelda touched the scratch gingerly. A trail of blood stuck to her finger as she pulled away. Nothing major, but enough to sting.

"Yeah." Zelda cried. She ran after him.

All the while, Impa herself was confronting Darunia. He was rather unsure of what to do. Lie and eat, or tell the truth and avoid treason. Both were tempting to do, but a roaring stomach made him make up his mind.

"I was told to come see you. My name is Impa. I am Zelda's bodyguard. Have you seen two blonde haired children anywhere?" Impa asked. Darunia paused, thinking of a good lie.

"A couple passed by here a while ago. They were playing a silly game about saving Hyrule. They were headed to the desert, to 'consult with the desert queen'. Ah kids, you never know with them." Darunia chuckled. Impa sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Thank you. If they come by here again, keep them. I'll be here in two shakes of a lamb's tail." Impa said, using a phrase her mother had used long ago. Darunia nodded.

"I'll do so." Darunia said politely. As Impa left dejectedly, he sighed, hoping the children would be back soon.

Link and Zelda had been locked in battle with the King Dodongo for about half an hour. They had managed to damage the king twice more. However, they were in no better shape. Along with Link's previous wound, he was bleeding heavily from his leg, slowing him down a lot. He was also covered in bruises and scrapes from dodging the monster's rolls. The ends of his hair were charred, as were the ends of his clothing, and he was burned badly in several places. Zelda had been badly injured in the stomach, and a tiny trail of blood was leaking out of her mouth. She's received another wound to the head, and was also burned in several placed. The ends of her tunic were burned, and her leg was nearly unusable. However, they kept fighting. To them, each hit was a victory.

"You still hanging in there?" Link managed to gasp. Zelda nodded, wiping some blood from her forehead so it wouldn't drip into her eyes.

"How about you?" she asked. Link nodded grimly and ran towards the monster with a bomb. He missed his throw and pulled out a new one. He was too late, and both he and Zelda were engulfed in flame again. When it had stopped, the beast was rolling again. Link pressed himself against the wall. Zelda did the same. Soon, the monster stopped rolling and was lumbering towards them again.

"Link, pass me a bomb!" Zelda yelled. She tossed the bomb as the monster opened it's mouth again. This time, it landed square in his mouth, causing the monster to drop again.

"Great! I'll attack, but you should too! He's bleeding a lot, and he's almost done. We can get him this time!" Link cried. Were he not in so much pain, it would have sounded joyful.

"Got it. One, two three!" Zelda cried. She released a fireball as Link went in for a final attack. The monster roared. He rolled into a ball and prepared to roll. Link ran over to Zelda and leapt out of the way. She ended up in his arms on the ground. The two watched as the monster rolled towards them, then spun and rolled into the lava. He let out one last roar of defeat, then burned, never to move again.

Link released Zelda and the two stood up and looked at the monster. They were victorious. They were covered in blood and burns, but victorious all the same.

"We did it." Zelda said. She walked over across the now-solid lava to the corpse of the Dodongo. Amongst the burned flesh, a heart shaped rock was glowing. Zelda took it and examined it. As if by magic, all of the cuts and burns were healed, leaving only scars to prove that they were in battle.

"Let's hold onto that." Link said. As he took it, a blue portal opened. Link took Zelda's hand wearily and stepped into the light.

Far away, deep in the desert, Impa was standing horse dung, lost and in a very foul mood. She shook her foot off and growled.

"Damn you, Darunia." She snarled.

A/N Okay, after two short chapters, I have a long one! I hope you enjoyed it, and please review. I just remembered! This is the most chapters I've ever added in a story. I usually get to four and lose motivation! This is a very special moment for me.


	6. Malon

The Followings of a Hero and his Princess

Pairing: Zelink

Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda, it's characters, or the general gist of this story (kudos to Shooting star180 for letting me use your idea).

Summary: After the battle with King Dodongo, Link and Zelda need somewhere to stay where they won't get caught. Luckily, there's a small ranch willing to take them in. However, things aren't so simple around the ranch owner's daughter and our princess.

A/N Six chapters. I can't believe I've kept with this so long. Don't worry, at the rate I'm going, I'll be writing for quite a while. I promised myself that this would be my first complete multi-chapter story. Any-nya, we're introducing Malon (again). Oh dear, it seems she doesn't get along too well with Zellie. I wonder why that could be? (/sarcasm) Don't forget to review!

There was a flash of blue light, and Link and Zelda were lowered to the ground slowly. Zelda rubbed her eyes wearily as Link dropped to his butt. They both sighed and looked at the entrance to the cavern. There was a sudden roaring.

"You don't think-" Zelda asked. Link jumped to his feet and drew his sword all in one swift movement. The two moved back-to-back and surveyed the area. No large monsters popped up from the ground. No roaring beasts came crawling from the dark shadows. All was quiet, until a large rock dropped from the sky.

"Aah!" Zelda cried. She took several steps back, dragging Link with her. The rock unfolded to reveal Darunia. Link grabbed Zelda's hand and pulled her back in front of the king.

"You're back! Sorry I was a tad late on my entrance. I fell asleep waiting for you on top of this cliff. You defeated the Dodongo, I assume? I guess so, or else you'd be dead!" Darunia laughed. He was speaking so fast that neither Link nor Zelda could offer a word in response.

"Yes! We defeated the king!" Link blurted out. Darunia stopped talking all at once, beaming. It was then that Zelda noticed that he had something behind his back.

"I knew you would. That's why I brought this," Darunia put his arms out in front of him and opened his hands, "beforehand. Good job. You deserve it." Darunia smiled. In his hands was a small, but beautiful gem: The Goron's Ruby.

"Thank you so much." Zelda sighed, reaching out slowly and it slowly into her hands. Light seemed to radiate from inside of it. Link peered over Zelda's shoulder in admiration.

"Now that you have saved our race, you are our sworn siblings." Darunia proclaimed proudly. Both Zelda and Link paled visibly and began to back away.

"Does this brotherhood involve a ceremony? With sharp objects? And blood? 'Cause if I lose anymore blood, I'm gonna, gonna-" Link cut himself off. Darunia looked puzzled, then laughed loudly.

"No, there is no ceremony involved. Just consider the ruby a sign of our friendship," he said kindly. Zelda released her breath and handed the ruby to Link. He gazed on it a moment, then stowed it carefully away in his bag.

"We'll take extra-good care of it, Darunia sir." Zelda said seriously. Darunia nodded. Suddenly, he got an odd gleam in his eye.

"I guess you must be off. A lady came looking for you. If you don't want to be caught, I suggest climbing the mountain and visiting the owl. He will take you to a safer place. Now, to see you off, we'll give you something very special." He said. He motioned towards the cave. Two more Gorons fell from the cave and opened up.

"A great big Goron hug." The three said in unison. They spread their arms out and began advancing on the two slowly, looking rather menacing. Link and Zelda looked at each other, then ran up the path, towards the top of the mountain.

"Phew. That was close." Zelda sighed, wiping her brow. She looked at Link again, then they both burst into peals of laughter. After recollecting themselves, they began up the mountain, chatting to each other casually. They'd only been walking an hour or so when the sun set and the wolf howled.

"Well, we'd better stop here and call it a night." Zelda sighed, dropping to the ground. Link grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back into a standing position.

"You never know where the guards are going to look. We need to keep moving until we get to the safe place Darunia told us about." Link explained. Zelda rubbed her eyes wearily, but nodded in agreement. The two had walked for about fifteen minutes when they reached a steep wall. Despite the grooves in the wall, it looked fairly difficult to pass.

"Darunia said the owl was on top of the mountain…" Zelda trailed off. Link grabbed onto one of the indents and hoisted himself up a foot. He climbed another three feet before sliding back down.

"It's sturdy enough. With any luck, we can make it up by midnight, and catch the owl. Then, depending on how long it takes to find the owl, we can sleep a couple hours and get a move on in the morning." Link said.

"Speaking of which, how do you suppose an _owl _will be able to get us down a mountain safely?" Zelda inquired.

"I don't know. But, we better start climbing. You go first, so I can catch you if you fall." Link said. Zelda stared up the wall. It was pretty tall and looked menacing, but not impassable. With only a moment's hesitation, she began to climb.

Climbing the wall was tough on the battle-weary pair. Each movement was made slowly and cautiously. There were a couple rough patches, but so far, the travel up the mountain had been tedious, but successful.

"Come on, Zelda. We're almost there." Link said. He hoisted himself up another foothold after the girl.

"Excuse me, but I don't exactly climb mountains very often." Zelda snapped. With sudden agility, Link climbed up past Zelda, then down so he was right in front of her.

"Get on my back. I'm gonna carry you up the rest of the way." Link stated, a bead of sweat dripping off of his nose. Zelda was so shocked she nearly lost her footing.

"No way. You're just as tired as I am. We'll go even slower if you carry me. Plus, the extra weight might make you fall. I'm not going to risk that," Zelda argued huffily.

"Look, we're almost to the top, and you're slowing down. We need to get somewhere safe soon, and the only way we can do that is if you get on my back and don't slow me down. I can take some extra weight." Link said. Zelda hesitantly wrapped her arms around Link's neck and hoisted herself onto his back.

"The instant I get to heavy, I'm getting off." Zelda insisted. For the first time, she looked down below her. The sight made her dizzy, so she buried her face in Link's tunic and Link began to hoist himself up the mountain again.

However much Zelda didn't want to admit it, the trip went much faster, and by the time the two were on top of the cliff, it was barely nine o'clock. Zelda slid off of Link's back and looked down again. She looked away quickly, not wanting to pass out and fall.

"Hoo!" a voice cried. Zelda jumped and stumbled back, falling onto Link and sending them both to the ground.

"Zel, it's just the owl." Link said reassuringly. Zelda blushed. _He called me Zel. _She thought, her heart pounding. Her cheeks were now very red, and she could hear blood pounding in her ears.

"Are you alright? You're face is really red. Do you have a fever?" Link asked concernedly, pressing a hand to her forehead. Slowly, the red in Zelda's cheeks died down.

"I'm fine. The height just scared me a little." Zelda laughed nervously. Link smiled and closed his eyes.

"I'm glad. Now let's go. By the sound of that hoot, the owl must be really close by." He reasoned, grabbing Zelda's hand and helping her to her feet. Zelda nodded, and the two began to walk towards the source of the noise.

Not too long after, Link and Zelda came to a plain. There was a single stone sticking up in the middle, but other than that, nothing was in view.

"That lying goron." Zelda sighed in exasperation. "We climbed all this way up for nothing. Now we're sure to be caught." The princess whined. She sat down on the rock and crossed her legs.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Link corrected, moving beside Zelda and pointing to a shape in the sky. It was an owl, a large one at that, and it was headed right for the rock! "Zelda, move!" Link cried. He took a running leap and sent himself and Zelda flying off of the rock and towards the edge. After an endless moment of teetering on the edge, the two steadied themselves and stood up as the owl swooped lower and landed on the rock.

"Do you really think I'd land on that poor girl? Of course not! Who do you think I am, a Gerudo?" the owl said, obviously miffed. Both Link and Zelda were silent, staring in silent awe at the talking bird.

"You can talk." Link finally managed to stammer. The owl looked appalled, as if Link had deeply offended him by pointing out the obvious.

"Well, I'm not barking am I? Well, Darunia told me you needed a ride. I can help you out, um..." the owl trailed off, cocking his head to both sides, then twisting it fully upside-down.

"I'm Zelda, and this is Link." Zelda answered quickly, hoping it would cause him to right his head.

"Ah, princess. I have heard many great stories about you. Well, where do you need to go? And decide quickly, I do have a life you know." The owl murmured. Link blinked a few times before responding.

"Do you know any places where we can eat and sleep without being caught by the royal guards? Hopefully, a place with people who will cover for us." He offered. The owl pondered a moment, then lifted into the air.

"One safe place coming up! Hold on tight!" the owl cried. Before Link or Zelda could respond, the owl swooped down and grabbed one of each's hands with his talon.

"Is there any safer way to do this?" Zelda screamed as she was lifted into the air. The owl was too busy whistling an obscure tune to answer. As if to reassure her, Link wrapped an arm around Zelda's waist.

After the trip down the mountain, the owl dropped Link and Zelda in front of a simplistic looking ranch. Zelda's face was slightly red, and Link looked exhilarated.

"If you ever need me, call for Kaepora Gaebora, and I'll coming flying. Anything to help keep Hyrule safe and peaceful." The owl, Kaepora Gaebora, stated. With that, he spread his wings and took off again, leaving Link and Zelda to cautiously enter the ranch. A few steps in, Link recognized the ranch.

"I've been here before. A strange girl named Malon speaking Japawhatsits greeted me asking for a 'Miyamotto-son' whoever that is." Link rolled his eyes and examined his surroundings. As if on cue, a redheaded girl came running into view.

"Fairy boy!" Malon cried joyously, racing towards the hapless Kokiri at a nearly inhuman pace. Link backed up, grabbing Zelda's hand and preparing to bolt. However, before his joints could respond, he was barreled over by Malon and sent rolling backwards several feet. When they finally stopped rolling and the dust had cleared, Zelda could see Malon's arms tightly wrapped around Link's waist.

A moment of silence passed as Zelda tried to decide what was going on. Malon was in a state of obvious bliss, and Link appeared to be suffocating. With his face turning blue, he managed to scramble out of Malon's death grip and stand up.

"Yeah, hi Malon." Link muttered, brushing himself off and examining himself for any injuries, minor or major. Zelda found herself looking away in disgust as Malon stood up and clenched Link's hand tightly.

"I asked you to come back and visit me, fairy boy. You did save my father, and we got along so well. I missed you." She whined, leaning her head casually on his shoulder as if she were his girlfriend.

"You must not get many people around here, 'cause as far as I know, you and Link don't know each other too well." Zelda said coldly, still keeping her gaze away from the two.

"Well pardon me for wanting to make a new friend. Who are you, his sister or something?" Malon asked, making a face at Zelda without a second thought. Link blushed and tried to shrug Malon off.

"This is princess Zelda, my traveling partner." He introduced hastily. As if by magic, Malon started blushing very deeply. She bent down into a bow and began to stammer apologies.

"I'm very sorry, miss Zelda. I just thought that you, well, I thought that Link was, I'm so sorry. Please forgive my rudeness. It wasn't my place." Malon muttered in embarrassment.

"I hope that you don't treat all of your visitors like this." Zelda muttered. She was shocked by her own discourtesy towards the farm girl, but something about the way she treated Link made her angry.

"Well, Malon, Zelda and I are on a very important mission, and we were wondering if we could stay here tonight." Link asked. He had managed to free himself from Malon and was hovering slightly behind Zelda.

"No problem! We always have room for guests at the Lon Lon ranch." Malon said cheerfully. "Especially for you, Link." She added with a wink. This did not help Zelda's current mood. Malon ignored Zelda's glares and began to show Link to a place where he could stay. Zelda followed three feet behind.

"So, where are your parents?" Link asked curiously as Malon opened a door and allowed Link and Zelda to enter the building. It smelled strongly of cows and damp hay.

"My father's making a long-distance delivery, and he left me here to take care of things." Malon explained. "Oh, I don't mind. I do it often." She added, seeing the worried look on Link's face. She then began to show them around the little room.

"Thank you so much for letting us stay here. I promise we'll be out tomorrow morning. It'll be early." Link said, sitting down on a bed and putting his nose against the pillow. It smelled as if a cucco had sat there for many days.

"Stay as long as you like. And princess, may I speak to you outside?" Malon asked, opening the door and beckoning out.

"Okay…" Zelda trailed off. She gave Link a wave before following Malon outside. The farm girl promptly closed the door.

"What's you're relationship like with Link?" Malon asked straight-out, without any attempt to lead into it. Zelda looked taken aback by the suddenness of the question.

"We're just friends and partners. We've been through a lot, but we haven't known each other too long." Zelda said honestly. The truth hurt.

"Good." Was Malon's simple answer. She began to head back to the door, but Zelda grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back into whispering range.

"I don't know what you're planning, but stay away from Link. He needs to be fully focused on his mission." Zelda whispered in a threatening tone. Her blue eyes were completely serious. Malon crossed her arms and sighed.

"Just because we've just met and he's on a mission doesn't stop me from liking him. Plus, you said you weren't involved, so I figured, what the hell? He's pretty cute, anyways." Malon winked.

"Listen to me. If you distract him, we could all die. Plus, he has no interest in girls right now. There are more important things in life." Zelda said menacingly. Malon frowned.

"Ah, I see you're in love with him too. That makes us rivals then. I'm going to bed, so I'd appreciate it if you let go of my arm. Goodnight, princess." Malon said and walked away before Zelda could even think to interject. Not that she had anything to say in defiance of Malon's words.

A/N Zellie likes Link! But it looks like she has a rival. But love conquers all, ne? When Link was talking about Japawhatsit and Miyamotto, I wasn't meaning any disrespect. I love the Japanese language and worship Miyamoto-san, so just clearing it up. Please review!


	7. Zora

The Followings of a Hero and his Princess

Pairing: Zelink

Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda, it's characters, or the general gist of this story (kudos to Shooting star180 for letting me use your idea).

Summary: After a journey up the river, Link and Zelda find themselves in Zora's Domain and discover that the Zora princess is missing. However, after a short step off of a long place, Link discovers something rather useful…

A/N I'm back! Sorry for the delay, my cousins were over this weekend and I spent a lot of time playing SSBM. Anyways, we've moved from Malon to Ruto. Poor Zelda is just having the hardest time getting her man. Also, in regard to Malon's crush on Link, that's how I pictured it, a superficial attraction soon after they met. Because they don't get much interaction in the child chapters, I figured she'd just decide she liked him. Also, Zelda will _not _stay asleep with Link for seven years. That's all I can say. Please review.

As Link had said, he and Zelda were up early the next morning. As quietly as possible, they had gotten the few items they had together and were about to walk out of the ranch when an annoyed voice stopped them.

"Did you really think that you could leave without saying good-bye?" Malon huffed and turned Link around by his shoulder. Link averted his eyes as Malon attempted to stare him down.

"We needed to get an early start and we didn't wanna wake you. You _do _have a lotta chores around the ranch, y'know." Link stumbled over his words as he attempted to apologize.

"Thanks for being so concerned for me, fairy boy. I'll miss you, 'cause it's awfully lonely around the ranch by myself. D'you think you could…" Malon trailed off.

"Sorry, this is urgent, and we need to leave as soon as possible." Zelda said before Link could respond. She grabbed Link's hand and began to drag him off of the ranch. Malon waved dejectedly.

"Bye, then." She called. As soon as they were gone, she groaned and crossed her arms. "You got lucky, princess." She mumbled. She instantly glanced around nervously with one hand clamped over her mouth.

Zelda had dragged Link quite a few yards out of Lon Lon ranch before she finally released the hapless boy, who was completely oblivious what was happening between the two girls. Zelda was doubled over panting, and Link was standing there looking stupid.

"We should probably get started…" Zelda trailed, trying to forget the odd events that had happened a few moments before. Link nodded, arching his back and stretching. Zelda grinned. They stood there looking stupid for another few minutes before they began discussing what to do.

"So, where do you suppose we look for the last gem thingy? The Zora's…Sapphire?" Link asked. Zelda nodded.

"Well the obvious thing would be to see the Zora's and see what they know about the sapphire. However, they live hidden way upstream. My father won't even tell me where they are. All I know is that they're upstream." Zelda huffed, crossing her arms.

"Then let's head upstream. We're bound to end up somewhere." Link reasoned. Zelda nodded. The two spent a moment checking themselves over before heading towards the Zora River.

After a bit of walking, followed by a little swimming and a little drifting downstream, a wet and muddy Link and Zelda found themselves at the worst possible place, a dead end.

"Shit. Now we're wet, muddy, tired and lost. We have no leads on the Zora's, and Ganondorf could very likely be taking over Hyrule at this very moment." Link swore, brushing some mud out of his hair. Zelda lifted her hand to her chin, thinking what they could do.

"Hey, this river isn't very narrow. Maybe, just maybe, we could jump across to the other side." Zelda said warily. She pointed to the other side of the river. Like she had said, it wasn't very narrow, and could be jumped. However, it was a gamble whether they'd both make it to the other side without being washed away.

"D'you really think we could make it?" Link inquired cautiously. Zelda walked over to the edge and bent down checking the distance from another angle. After a few moments she stood back up.

"If we jump far enough." Zelda joked. Link put his hand in the water. He pulled it out with a green rupee in it. He handed it to Zelda.

"The current is moving fast. I'll go first, so I can catch you if you fall a little short." Link reasoned. Zelda crossed her arms and raise a speculating eyebrow.

"And _how _do you know you'll make it?" she asked. Link bent down and splashed the princess in the face with cold water. After much spluttering, Zelda managed to regain herself.

"Those who don't trust the great Link pay the price, princess." Link joked. He backed up a few paces, then took a running leap over towards the other side. Much to Zelda's annoyance, he made it without any trouble.

"Clear the way, I'm coming through." She cried across to Link. Link only smirked and sidestepped. Zelda closed her eyes and leapt across. She felt the ground fall away and her body being swallowed by cold water. However, something, or someone, grabbed her wrist.

"I gotcha again princess! We always get in this situation, th' handsome prince savin' the beautiful damsel in distress." Link joked as Zelda opened her eyes and began to gasp for air.

"One day, I'm going to save you, Link. Then who'll be the damsel in distress?" Zelda asked between mouthfuls of river water. She pulled herself onto the shore and coughed out a little more water.

"Hopefully not me. I do _not _look good when I'm cross-dressing." Link stated, helping Zelda to her feet.

"Sure, mister I-run-around-saving-Hyrule-in-a-dress." Zelda teased, bending down and tugging playfully at the end of his tunic. Link snatched her hand away and swatted it playfully.

"Never make fun of the tunic." Link joked and began chasing Zelda down the pathway. Racing faster and faster, she tripped over a particularly large clump of grass. After a less-than-graceful tumble, she was up and running.

"You'll never catch me!" Zelda cried. As she ran, she realized how informal she'd become with Link. Even after only a few days, she felt like she'd known him for a long time. As she was thinking, Link snuck up behind her and tickled her. Zelda yelped and bolted across the bridge she'd been standing on. 'Now that I think about it, he's dropped his whole over-protective thing. It's like we're best friends.' She thought in curiosity. She was out of Link's grasp for a few moments before…

"Aha! The princess is mine!" Link yelled in a monster-like voice, he grabbed Zelda and, much to her dismay, hoisted her over his shoulder. After much kicking and screaming on Zelda's part, the princess slid out of Link's grasp and kicked him. The two tumbled onto the grass and rolled around until they hit the edge of a narrow path. The two looked up. They were standing before a huge waterfall.

"That's a, heh, pretty big waterfall. Looks like we hit the end of the path. We missed the entrance while we were running." Link sighed, standing up and looking at his feet. It was then that he realized what he was standing on. "Or maybe not..."

"What do you mean? We're at a wa-ter-fall. There's no way we could have- hey? What are you doing?" Zelda stopped short as Link pulled out his ocarina and raked his brain. Suddenly, he offered it to Zelda.

"Can you play the royal family's song again?" Link asked. Zelda nodded and hesitantly took the ocarina. After wiping off the mouthpiece (as Link rolled his eyes), she took a deep breath and played the song. Just as Link had expected, the waterfall slowed down, revealing a door carved into the wall.

"How did you figure that out?" Zelda asked incredulously. She teetered on the edge of the path and peered through the door. It didn't seem to be a trap, but one could never tell.

"Look what you're standing on." Link smirked proudly. Zelda lifted her feet to reveal a tri-force set in stone in the grass beneath them. She felt a blush creeping up her neck. How could she have missed that?

"Well, are you coming or not?" Link asked. He stepped back a pace, then leapt across into the doorway. He beckoned for Zelda to follow. Zelda looked over the edge of the path. There was no water to save her, except for the little stream of water left from the waterfall, which was steadily draining. She a sharp intake of air, she leapt across, with a much better result than last time. After regaining their balance, the two walked through the doorway.

Zora's Domain is the gathering place of all Zoras. It's crystal clear water fed into Lake Hylia and formed the waterfall that made up Zora's River. It had a clear pool in the center, with walkways carved into the sheer rock face. At the very top of the walkways lived the King Zora. The Zora's lived and slept in the water and in return, they kept Hyrule's water supply fresh. However, something was obviously amiss in the peaceful domain...

"Wow! This place is amazing!" Zelda gasped. She ran over to the edge and peered into the water below. The foggy shape of some underwater Zoras was the only thing that made it look anything different than a pool.

"We should probably see the King. He should know where the Sapphire is." Link recalled from Zelda's lesson, 'Zora Hierarchy 101'. Zelda nodded and scooted away from the ledge. Taking the lead as usual, she led Link up several winding paths, stopping only once to catch their breath. Finally, they reached the room where the king sat. He was the largest Zora Zelda had ever seen. Occasionally a Zora ambassador would stop by the palace to discuss river pollution, but she'd never seen one this…fat.

"Hello your highness." Zelda said, walking forward onto a platform. The king was seated on the edge of a wall, and was looking rather forlorn. She beckoned Link up and bowed deeply.

"As to you, princess. Now, who is this strapping young fellow?" the King asked, nodding. Zelda looked Link up and down. Strapping didn't fit him; scrawny, maybe.

"This is my good friend and bodyguard, Link. We come to you with a request." Zelda said, cutting straight to the chase as Link bowed clumsily. The Zora raised an "eyebrow".

"What could you need in these peaceful times?" he asked. "Does your father need to speak with us about pollution, for we could easily send an ambassador. But then, why would you travel alone?" Before the king could begin speaking to himself, Zelda interrupted.

"We are on a very important mission to prevent the downfall of Hyrule, and would like to use the Zora's Sapphire." She said seriously. The Zora chuckled, causing Link's temper to rise.

"Ah, I see we're playing 'Save Hyrule' again. Haven't played this game in a while, have ye? Well, as much as I would like to give you the stone, I cannot." The Zora said.

Link's face fell, as did Zelda's. They stood in defeated silence for a moment, before Link worked up the nerve to speak up.

"But why not? It's really important!" he cried, racing towards the king. Zelda blandly stuck out an arm and caught him by the back of the collar. Link stopped, then backed up obediently.

"My daughter Ruto took it with her when she went to feed our deity, Jabu-Jabu, and she's been missing ever since." The Zora sighed unhappily, looking down at the floor.

"Maybe he ate her." Link spat disgustedly in Zelda's ear. Zelda stomped on his toe, causing him to wince in pain and bend over, whimpering about un-lady-like behavior. Zelda shrugged it off and turned her attention back to the king.

"If we helped to find her, could we take the stone back to town with us for a while?" she asked hopefully. The Zora thought for a moment, then nodded.

"However, I'm warning you. For ages, the Zora's Sapphire has been used as an engagement ring of sorts." Link flushed, looking taken aback. Zelda did as well. The Zora laughed. "Don't worry, we have long since abandoned those traditions. However, my daughter, Ruto, may still feel the need to, um, uphold these traditions." He explained.

"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Zelda said hastily. "We'll start looking for Ruto immediately. We'll talk to you as soon as we get any leads." She bowed again, then grabbed Link's collar and dragged him down a hallway.

"You need to be polite, Link! That was the king of the Zoras!" Zelda lectured in exasperation. Link, who was hopping on one foot and massaging his neck, listened intently, nodding when he felt was necessary. They rounded a corner and continued walking.

"Sorry, 's'not my fault he's a rude, fat asswh- OH SHI-!" Link cried. He, in his rant about the unfairness of the king, had walked off the edge of a pier. There was a splash, and a couple yells, then silence. Zelda peered over the edge disdainfully.

"You klutz." She shook her head and began walking back down the path. Had she not been so annoyed with him, she might have been worried.

Water surrounded Link, filling his mouth and nose and wrenching his eyes shut. There were a few panicked yells, but then silence. He tried to swim towards the surface, but hit his head on the roof of a tunnel. H propelled himself forward, then tried again. This time, he broke the surface and was rewarded with cool air. He gasped and flailed for a moment, then looked around, taking in his surroundings. He appeared to be in a lake. He was looking around when he spied something glistening on the lake floor. He took a gulp of air and dove down to grab it. It was a bottle with a piece of slightly damp paper in it. Link paddled to the shore and popped the cork open.

_Dear Father, _

It read,

_When you read this letter, I'll be inside of Lord Jabu-Jabu_

A/N Sorry about the delay! Thanks for the faves, alerts, reviews, and C2s. Please continue to review! We'll be meeting up with Ruto next (horror music plays in the background). See ya next chapter!


	8. Ruto

The Followings of a Hero and his Princess

Pairing: Zelink

Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda, it's characters, or the general gist of this story (kudos to Shooting star180 for letting me use your idea).

Summary: Link and Zelda have somehow managed to find themselves inside of Lord Jabu-Jabu, looking for a lost princess. However, complications arise when the Zora princess won't leave unless Link carries her? Will they find their way out? Will Ruto find what she's looking for? Will Link collapse under Ruto's body weight? Will Zelda die of jealousy?

A/N I'm back (creepy music plays). This is going to be a bit reversed from my last "temple". Rather than skipping the dungeon, I'm going to draw out the finding of Ruto and put the temple and boss in two separate chapters. Anyways, keep reviewing and I promise I won't get writers block two chapters from the end. There's one more thing that I need to mention. Within the storyline, I'm adding a couple bonus chapters (three in all). They are not important to the plot and can be skipped, but I want you to read them. Why? I'll give you a reason later. More on those at the end. Now, after the obnoxiously long author's note I give you, chapter eight!

_Dear Father,_

_When you read this letter, I'll be inside Lord Jabu-Jabu. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. However, I have the precious Zora's Sapphire with me. And unless you call off my marriage, I'll throw it away, and it will be lost in Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly forever. So, if you want to see the precious sapphire again, I suggest you do something about my arranged marriage._

_-Ruto_

Zelda finished the last line of the letter and shook her head. A rather wet Link was peering over her shoulder and re-reading the note.

"What an obnoxious little kid. No wonder her father arranged a marriage. I'd want to shove her off on somebody, too." Link snorted, earning him another stepped-on toe courtesy of Zelda.

"What'd I do this time?" Link yelled, pulling off his boot and examining his throbbing toe. Zelda pinched her nose in disgust. How long had he been wearing those boots?

"Yor inthulting the Zohra's govehnmehntal rulehs agaihn (You're insulting the Zora's governmental rulers again)." Zelda snapped with her nose still pinched. Link rolled his eyes and pulled his boot back on, much to Zelda's relief.

"Admit it. Any kid that takes a precious stone and hides in her deity's body because she didn't get her way 's'a brat." Link snorted, lacing up his boot expertly.

"So I suppose you'd like to be forced to marry somebody you don't like or know." Zelda reasoned. Link was silent. Zelda smirked, rolling the note back up, pushing it into the bottle, and handing it to Link

"We should probably show this to the king. He would want to know where is daughter is." Zelda said. She began to walk up the path and motioned for Link to follow. "Link, what are you doing?" she asked in exasperation. Link had taken the note out of the bottle and had waded knee-deep into the water. He held the bottle right over the surface and was bent over looking at the water intently. Suddenly, he lashed out with the bottle and brought it back up triumphantly.

"Look, I caught a fish! I wanna call 'im Squirt!" Link cried in an incredibly OOC manner. The note was clenched in one hand and the bottle with "Squirt" in it was being shoved in Zelda's face.

"It's…nice." Zelda said, pushing the bottle out of her face. Link looked forlorn and began consoling his fish.

"He's more than nice." He pouted. Zelda was wondering what was with Link's sudden personality change when she remembered the task at hand and began literally dragging Link up the path to the king.

As the King read the note and Link played with his fish, Zelda felt like the only sane person. Finally, after the twenty-ninth reread, the king looked up from the letter and sighed deeply.

"I suppose there's nothing to do but cancel the wedding." The Zora said, handing the note to a servant. It was carried away and undoubtedly put away in a very safe place.

"But how is Ruto supposed to know it's been called off?" Link asked, cautiously setting his fish down to look up at the king. The king looked thoughtful for a moment, before a terrifyingly evil gleam shone in his eye.

"I suppose, Link and Zelda, you will have to go get her. I am too busy ruling here, and none of the Zora's have the, er, ability or equipment to complete such a task. Would you be willing to do it in return for the Zora's Sapphire?" the king asked imploringly.

"Yes sir. We shall find Princess Ruto and escort her safely out of Jabu Jabu's belly." Zelda answered. Link nodded, picking up his fish and preparing to go on yet another journey.

"Ah, yes. Very good, very good. I shall move aside, and you may enter Lord Jabu Jabu's domain." He said with a nod. He began to inch over to the side. After a good five minutes of scooting over, there was a pathway to the domain.

"Don't worry about Ruto. She's in good hands." Link said, seeing the King Zora's worried look.

"It's not Ruto I'm worried about. It's you." The king sighed truthfully. Before Link could question his answer, Zelda had taken his hand and were walking down the path.

"Ah, they make a nice couple. Too bad Ruto's going to declare Link her husband." the servant, who had recently returned from storing the note, shook his head.

"Woah. He's huge." Link gasped, staring up at the whale-like god. It was easily ten feet tall, and as wide as a drawbridge. His powerful jaws were clamped shut.

"How do you suppose we get inside of him?" Zelda asked. She walked up to the god. He snorted air through his "nose" at Zelda, causing her to back up a few feet before advancing again.

"We could always wait for her t'come out the other end." Link joked, walking up to Zelda and nodding sagely. Zelda slapped him and continued examining the god (who was feeling quite violated).

"Well, maybe he'd open up for a snack." Zelda said. She looked around, then spied Squirt. Link's eyebrows rose as Zelda's gaze trailed to the bottle. He clutched it protectively between his arms.

"There's no way we are making poor little Squirt into a snack for some fish to save, whaddaya know, a fish!" Link exclaimed. Zelda looked away, causing Link's guard to drop. All of the sudden, she moved behind him and slipped the bottle out from his arms.

"If you're guard is always so low, how have you managed to survive so long?" she pondered out loud. She uncorked the bottle and, much to Link's dismay, tossed the fish at Lord Jabu-Jabu. His eyes widened, then he opened his mouth. A strong gust of wind suddenly began to blow, and Link, Zelda, and the fish were sucked into the beast.

Inside of the monster was disgusting. Zelda found herself in a pool of saliva, and Link was sitting in what looked like mucus. After much wiping themselves off, they started into the monster.

"This is not pleasant." Zelda said, lifting her feet slowly and walking towards a large pool of saliva, which ran across from wall to sticky wall.

"I agree. Do we actually have to cross that?" Link asked, hitching up his tunic. Zelda nodded sickly. She took one step and slipped, her head slipping under the water. As soon as she caught her breath, she vomited.

After a moment's delay, Zelda and Link found themselves across the "river" and at a dead end. Link tapped on the wall, earning himself an unpleasant noise from his host.

"Hey, do you see that?" Zelda asked, pointing into a corner. Link ran over and picked up the object. It was a child's boomerang.

"How much does this thing swallow?" he asked incredulously, examining the boomerang and wiping it off on his tunic. He took aim and threw it into the open area. It whizzed around, flying over his head and hitting a dangling object on the roof of the deity's mouth. The door wall slid open, much to Zelda's disgust.

"How did you do that?" she asked. Link shrugged, and the two passed through the entranceway. Inside, they saw a large cavern with small vortexes in the ground. Several out of place, large jellyfish were floating around, and way in the back, there was a figure.

"Ruto!" Link yelled. He ran towards the Zora princess, attempting to slice through a jellyfish with his sword. He ended up lying on his back on the ground, electrocuted.

"Wha- Hey! Who are you, and what are you doing here?" the girl, Ruto, demanded. Zelda helped Link to his feet and walked over to Ruto. She offered her hand, but Ruto ignored it.

"I'm Princess Zelda, and this is Link. We came to tell you that the wedding is off, and you can come back now. Your father sent us." Zelda explained cheerfully. Ruto crossed her arms and snorted.

"It's too late. I've already gotten rid of the stone, and there's nothing you can do about it." She stuck out her tongue at Zelda and smirked. Link advanced forward, but Zelda held her back.

"Your father is really worried about you, and would like you to come home." Zelda explained. Ruto plugged her ears in annoyance. Link snarled at her angrily, but Zelda's arm prevented him from doing anything else.

"He's not worried about _me, _he's worried about his stupid rock. And I don't wanna leave, even if the marriage is off. My daddy's being a stupid-head, and I never wanna talk to him again." Ruto sniffed. She backed away, and promptly fell into a vortex.

"Can we just leave her? Please?" Link begged. Zelda grabbed his arm and jumped through vortex. Ruto was sitting on her butt, her face red and tears forming in her eyes.

"Oww. Oh," Ruto stood up and wiped her eyes, "what are you doing here?" she asked snippily.

"We really want you to leave with us." Zelda asked. She stomped on Link's toe before any disagreements left his lips. Ruto rubbed the back of her neck in thought.

"Okay, if you're _that _desperate, you can take me home. But, Pink here has to carry me, for I hurt my leg on the fall." She said dramatically. She did an over-the top limp over to the forest boy and collapsed into his arms. "I'm also not leaving 'till we find the Zora's Sapphire. I want to hide it somewhere else, now that you know where it is." She spat.

"We're happy to oblige." Link managed to groan. He hoisted the girl onto his back as Zelda's cheeks tinged. _Here it is…that feeling again. The feeling Malon gave me. _Zelda thought, blushing. Link felt her head concernedly. Zelda swatted his hand away.

"So are you gonna go or what?" Ruto asked angrily, kicking Link in the stomach. Link doubled over, sending Ruto sliding off of his back and rolling forwards. "Ow! This'll never do. I'll ride on your shoulders." She declared. She scrambled up the aching Link and onto his shoulders.

"We better get moving, and we'll never do that if you don't slow down, missy." Zelda said coldly. Link used the moment to his advantage and stomped on Zelda's foot.

After about an hour of walking, Link needed a rest, and the three made a makeshift camp in a relatively empty chamber. It was small, and it had a platform that moved up and down occasionally. Link and Zelda got out bedrolls and pillows. Ruto insisted on sharing on with Link. Zelda insisted on making fish-kebobs. After a light dinner, they got onto their bedrolls and attempted to fall asleep. Well, two of them did.

"Psst, Link…Y'wanna know a secret?" Ruto giggled loudly. Zelda sat straight up, the lowered herself back down for the seventh time. Link pulled the covers over his head and moaned.

"Just watch the platform and try and fall asleep." Zelda groaned. They were taking turns on watch, just in case a fiend appeared in the night. Ruto harrumphed and sat up, watching the platform move up and down. Link was just about to fall asleep when there was a screech of,

"That's it!"

Link and Zelda both shot straight up, Link instinctively groping for his sword and Zelda focusing energy into her hands. The two glanced around stupidly. No monsters were in sight, except for one blue fish.

"That's the Zora's Sapphire! Throw me up! Throw me up! Throw me-" Link silenced her by heaving her onto the platform and grabbing it so it didn't go up without them. Ruto walked to the center, after a little grumbling about rough tossing, and picked up the stone.

"That's great, now we can leave." Zelda said. Right as the Zora Princess was jumping off the platform, it began to move quickly, racing upwards towards the opening in the roof. Link let go before his hands were crushed.

"Ruto! Ruto, can you hear me?" Link called. The platform came down slowly. On was not Ruto or the stone. It was a monster.

A/N I'm on a roll! Now I have two things to discuss.

#1 Bonus chapters. There are three in all, and though they aren't substantial to the plot, I'm going to try and get the help of my good friend with the humor aspect. There is one in the child chapters, one in the adult chapters, and one near the ending. If you have any ideas for bonus chapters, feel free to tell me. I have three already, and I may not use yours, but I also may find it funny enough to use.

#2 Present. I recently discontinued one of my stories and had a delay on this one. As an 'I'm Sorry I delayed/discontinued' present, I'm doing a freebie for my readers. For the next week, I won't update, but you can, either by review or email, request either a oneshot about a character or pairing (any char/pair), and I will write it, or request any chibi or chibi pair and I will draw it. Just send me the basic plot of the fic or a pic of the character, and I will write/draw it for free. But, it only lasts for one week. My deviantart is kat-nya. Just email me or review and I'll get right to it. See you in a week!


	9. Barinade

The Followings of a Hero and his Princess

Pairing: Zelink

Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda, it's characters, or the general gist of this story (kudos to Shooting star180 for letting me use your idea).

Summary: Deep inside the belly of the Deity Jabu-Jabu, Link and Zelda face their toughest foe yet, Barinade, just as Impa begins interrogating The King. Unfortunately for them, he's not as good at stalling as Darunia.

A/N I live! This is another boss battle mostly, so the squeamish should skip the battle bits. I know I haven't updated in a while, but school has kept me busy. I hope this makes up for it .

Barinade must have been the most repulsive thing either Zelda or Link ever laid their eyes upon. It was covered by a wall of jellyfish, and from what could be seen of the actual body, it seemed like a huge throbbing nucleus. It was attached to the ceiling by threads of veins and arteries. Electricity zipped up and down said blood containers every now and then. The jellyfish appeared to be feeding it electricity.

"Kyaa!" a girly scream came from above. Tangled in Barinade's veins was Ruto. She was badly injured from the electric currents, but appeared to be holding onto the stone just fine.

"Zelda, I'm going to cut Ruto loose. You watch her, and I'll get rid of this… thing." Link whispered, backing away slowly as not to alert the monster to their position.

"Pink! Zelba! Save me from Barinade! He's gonna cook me into fish stew like in the stories!" Ruto began to flail exuberantly, the sapphire slipping dangerously around in her hand.

"Shut up!" Link finally yelled. He released his boomerang onto an unsuspecting Barinade. The boomerang appeared to only bother the monster, but it gave Ruto enough wiggle room to squirm free. She tumbled headfirst onto the ground. The stone rolled across the room, finally free from Ruto's grip. Barinade, sensing it's significance, extended a bolt of lightning and brought the stone within the folds of it's body.

All of the arteries and veins broke off the ceiling and zipped around dangerously. A hole opened illogically under the beast, and Barinade dropped through. It rolled a short distance and reattached itself. Link bent down and looked down the hole.

"You get Ruto to a safe place and join me. I'm gonna need backup." Link snarled.

"Oh no you di-int. You did _not_ just exclude me from this fight. My mother's stone is in there, and I'm gonna give it to Link!" the Zora yelled. She leapt down the hole, despite Link's attempts to keep her on the ledge.

"Suggestions?" Zelda asked after hearing a scream. Link shrugged and jumped down the hole, landing with a roll. Zelda followed suit, landing in Link's arms. The two turned to look for Ruto. She was crumpled against a wall, and even though she was unconscious, the stone was in her fist.

"I think we underestimate her." Link said, pulling out his boomerang. It was time for a fight.

Meanwhile, Impa had managed to find herself in front of King Zora. Unlike Darunia, he did not see the urgency in keeping Zelda and Link's location a secret.

"Ah yes, Zelda and Pink." The king said. He rubbed his chin as Impa tapped her foot on the platform impatiently. "Ah yes, they were on a mission inside of Lord Jabu Jabu." He smiled as memories returned.

"They're what?" Impa cried. She flew past the king at lightning speed, despite not knowing where or who Jabu Jabu was.

As Zelda (unwillingly) lugged Ruto's unresponsive body to a safe corner, Link sized up the monster. If he could just kill the jellyfish that surrounded the beast, he would be able to get to the nucleus and kill it.

"Any ideas yet?" Zelda ran panting up to Link. Barinade suddenly leapt to life. Jellyfish flew in all directions, attached by a bolt of lightning. Link saw his opening.

"Just a couple!" he yelled, pulling Zelda back and letting his boomerang fly. It made a swift ark and hit a jellyfish, stopping it in it's tracks. "Damn it!" he swore loudly and began weaving between the jellyfish.

"Here!" Zelda cried. As Link approached it, there was a flash. The jellyfish froze long enough for Link to grab his boomerang and toss it again. This time, it severed several of the lightning strings and the jellyfish died.

"Ha! You're a genius! Thanks, Zel!" Link laughed. He caught his boomerang and tossed it again playfully. Finally he was getting used to the saving-the-world business.

As Zelda watched Link dart around like a child in an egg hunt, she couldn't help but notice the joy on his face. Normally he was so serious, but now he seemed to love the thrill of battle.

"Having fun?" she called out. Link nodded, as if it were an arcade game. He sliced a tentacle with ease and caught the boomerang.

"Watch this!" he smiled and tossed the boomerang under his leg. It spun wildly off course and crashed into the wall beside Zelda. The princess sighed and froze time long enough to toss the toy back to him.

"Don't be careless, this is a battle." She scolded. There was a moan beside her. Zelda jumped and looked down. Ruto had woken up and was examining her palm. It had broken open from gripping the stone and was bleeding freely onto her leg and arm. Hesitantly, she stopped a drop and licked her finger.

"What's happening?" she asked groggily. She looked over at Link, obviously dazed. "Ah." She answered her own question.

"Don't call out to him." Zelda warned. Ruto swatted at the princess with her clean hand.

Link gave the boomerang a final toss. It severed the final electric string, and Barinade was fully exposed. With a battle cry, he unsheathed his sword and ran at the beast.

"Die!" he yelled and did a magnificent leap into the air. He jammed his sword into the nucleus several times during his descent. Dark blood oozed out of its wounds and seeped onto the ground. Link switched hands and made thin cuts on the side he could reach. Blood splayed from the slices and splashed onto Link's face.

"Eew!" a female voice cried. It was followed promptly by the sound of a rather large object hitting another and a whimper of pain. Ignoring it, Link went for his big finish.

"Upper cut, downward thrust!" he cried, following suit with his sword. " Six, seven, eight, nine! Green Whirlwind!" Link cried. He sliced the monster and spun in a tight circle, sword out.

"Woo! Go Linkie-poo!" Ruto cried again. This time Zelda didn't bother to correct her misbehaviors.

"Go to hell." Link told Barinade sternly. He thrust with his sword once more. There was an unpleasant moan, and Barinade melted. Literally. Pulling his sword from it's bloody corpse, Link examined his blade. Once pure and shining, it was now coated with despair and destruction. The battle was over.

"Wowwie! You were awesome with you're six, eleven, eight, nine kaboom!" Ruto gaped. She took a running leap and flew at the battle-weary Kokiri, knocking them both to the ground. Zelda followed hesitantly.

"Rudo, do you habe da stome?" Link asked, his windpipes crushed by his new fan girl. Ruto flashed it proudly in his eyes. Link somehow managed to get up and see Zelda.

"Nice job, green whirlwind." The princess teased, tweaking his nose. Link grabbed her hand and stared into her eyes seriously. Zelda's heart began to pound, her face reddening.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me." He said, serious as his expression said. Zelda clenched her eyes closed. Link was moving closer. She heard her heartbeat in her ears. She felt his presence so near to her. She opened her eyes. Link was looking so kindly at her, advancing slowly.

"Heh heh, do you have a twin?" she asked suddenly. With a sudden rush of blackness, she passed out. Link caught her and hoisted her into his arms with a sigh.

"An opportunity missed." He shook his head. His serious moment was quickly ruined by a blue blur attacking him from behind.

"Put miss priss down. I've got something important 'ta give ya!" Ruto grinned. Link set Zelda down in annoyance and wiped his brow.

"What?" he asked. He saw Ruto's hands clasped behind her back. Suddenly it hit him. But why make such a big deal out of it.

"Marry me!" the zora girl screeched, thrusting the stone at Link's nose. Link lost his balance and collapsed onto his butt. Ruto was still grinning.

"Wha-what? M-marry you? What the hell are you talkin' about?" Link said, blushing slightly. He reached out to take the stone, but Ruto closed her hands around it.

"No no no, mister. This is the Zora Engagement Ring. If you take it, you have to marry me someday. Now, marry me, or no stone." Ruto demanded. Link crossed his fingers behind his back.

"Whatever. Just give me the stone before Zelda wakes up and throttles you for being obstinate." Link sighed. Ruto gave a happy grin and placed the slightly bloody stone into his hands.

Lucky for Ruto, Zelda woke up a minute later and she was spared. After searching every corner of the room for a blue diamond, they decided the only way out was to walk.

"This sucks." Ruto said. They must have searched for half an hour with no positive results. Link rolled his eyes.

"We'll be out in no time. Just hold your horses." Zelda snapped. Boy that girl could change emotions quickly. She'd gone from a bouncy fish stick to an annoying poisoned cod.

"Linkie, will you-"

"No."

"But you don't even know what I-"

"No."

"Wah! You're being mean to your future-"

"Shut up!"

"What are you talking about?" Zelda demanded. The arguing pair stuttered to a halt.

"Nothing." They said in unison. Zelda rolled her eyes and whipped around, only to be greeted by the worst possible image.

"Impa! Um, what are you doing here?" Zelda stuttered, pressing her fingers together innocently. Impa gave each of the three kids a stern stare.

"You know exactly why I'm here."

A/N Sorry it took me so long! Life is getting a little hard on me right now, so I was a little busy. I know it was short and probably crappy, but I'm under a lot of stress, so please don't be mad!


	10. Time

The Followings of a Hero and his Princess

Pairing: Zelink

Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda, it's characters, or the general gist of this story (kudos to Shooting star180 for letting me use your idea).

Summary: The adventure is over. Link and Zelda have been caught. With her final words to him, Zelda entrusts Link with the Ocarina of Time, in hopes that he will be able to open the Sacred Door…

A/N Oh em gee. It's my ten-chapter ficteversary! (Gives readers cake). Well, I decided to stop angsting and move on with the story. Impa's finally caught up with the princess. What will happen? Ooh… Please review. It means a lot to me when you tell me what you think of this.

The first thing Zelda noticed about Impa was the disappointed look written across her face. The next think she noticed was her dirty clothing. She put two and two together. The adventure was over.

"I don't know what to say to you two. I expected you home three weeks ago. You cost me my job. I was supposed to have you home in a week. The king's furious. I don't know what the hell you were thinking." Impa sighed. Ruto flinched, and Link stood with his head hung. In the midst of the thrill of battle and company with the princess, he'd never considered the end of their adventure. And now, he'd probably never see her again. He'd be sent back to the forest, never to leave.

"I'm sorry, we were having so much fun that the weeks just-" Impa cut Zelda off. Zelda frowned sadly.

"I don't want to hear it. Just go home. If you beg your father for mercy, maybe he'll let me stay, and we can pretend it never happened." Impa snapped sarcastically. Link stared at his feet. This was all his fault.

The rest of the walk was in silence. There was a minor catastrophe when Ruto fell down a hole, but she was retrieved and they left the monster fish. The king didn't notice the dark mood when he saw his daughter again.

"Oh, my precious Ruto! How I have missed you so!" he exclaimed, hugging his daughter until she turned purple.

"Dad, leggo a' me." The fish girl gasped. Her father released her and sized her up. After careful inspection that she had indeed not lost any limbs, he turned to face her rescuers.

"Thank you so much for rescuing my precious daughter. The Zora are in eternal debt to you." The king said politely. Zelda blushed and stared at her feet. Link bowed slightly.

"See ya' in a couple years, Linkie Poo." Ruto winked. She sauntered up to Link and flung her arms around his shoulders. "I'll be waiting." She grinned and kissed him on the cheek.

Zelda nearly died. Link turned an unusual shade of purple-red and attempted to free himself. Meanwhile, Zelda felt her insides turn to mush. She had half a mind to plug her ears in case her brain slithered out.

"Come on Link, Zelda." Impa said sharply. Ruto jumped to attention and unwound herself from the hapless Kokiri. Zelda was still frozen in mental anguish.

"Zel, it's time to leave." Link murmured, rubbing his cheek as if he had been slapped. The princess nodded mechanically and turned to leave. She moved stiffly down the path to the exit. Impa trailed a yard or so behind her. Link, after a moment's hesitation, followed suit.

"Do you have the stone?" Zelda asked him once he was in whispering distance. Link nodded, shrugging the bag slung over his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Zelda didn't respond. There was an uncomfortable silence the rest of the way out.

_I'm such an idiot…_ Zelda mentally whined. _Why did I let myself get so set on a boy I've only know a few weeks? Especially when he's got two other girls on his tail. I bet back in Jabu-Jabu, he was just trying to make me feel better. _She sighed and twiddled her thumbs. Link glanced at her nervously. Zelda only blushed and hung her head.

_I knew one day I'd have to say good-bye to the princess, but I never knew it'd end like this._ Link thought wistfully. His heart was pounding as they stepped out of the domain. Impa hoisted Zelda across and leapt across herself, leaving Link to take a harried jump and hope he landed. He did, luckily. Rubbing and blinking his eyes, his pupils adjusted to the sunlight. Zelda and Impa had gotten a lead on him. He dashed forward. After navigating the windy turns of the river, they found themselves at the river's mouth, were a horse was tied down.

"I suggest you go back where you came from. And don't come back to the castle, or you will probably be killed." Impa said sternly.

"Yes'm." Link replied. He shifted on his feet and listened to the stones clatter together in his bag. Suddenly, he was engulfed in an embrace. Zelda leaned her head on Link's shoulder, allowing tears to drip onto his tunic.

"Take the stones to the Temple of Time. The Ocarina of Time will be there. I'll send it with a bird or something. Put the stones in the places, and play the Song of Time. Don't worry, it'll come to you." Zelda managed to whisper between distressed hiccups.

"I'll make sure to. Be safe." He whispered back. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around the girl's thin shoulders as she shook in his arms. Impa cleared her throat, and the friends separated.

"I'll never forget you, Link…" Zelda trailed off. Link lifted Zelda's hands to his lips and kissed it softly. Zelda blushed slightly. She pulled her hand away and slowly moved towards Impa

Link reddened furiously as he watched Impa hoist Zelda onto the white horse. She swung her leg over, and without another word, galloped off. Link stared and watched them disappear into the distance. He shifted to his knees and balanced on his hands, bent over the grass. Thousands of images raced through his head. Those of Saria, Malon, the Zoras, the Gorons, and predominantly, the princess. He stood up shakily, and emptied the little contents of his stomach into the river. After rinsing his mouth out, he shoved a wedge of cheese between his teeth, pulled out his sword, and began his trek towards the castle. His adventure wasn't over yet. He had one thing left to do, and then he'd go back to the forest and try to forget about everything.

The walk was agonizing on Link's heart and legs. Without Zelda as a boost of encouragement or someone to complain to, there was nothing to do but listen to the dull thudding of his heart and watch the castle get steadily closer. He could see the horse trail through the gates and he suddenly felt sick. He shoved the remainder of the cheese in his pack. After a moment's rest, he began to start off. Then he heard a voice.

"Fairy boy!" Link's ears perked up and he whirled towards the source of the voice. Malon was galloping towards him on Epona. Link sighed. He wasn't sure if he was glad for the company or not.

"Hey Malon…" he greeted wearily. Malon pulled Epona to a stop and swung down. She pulled Link's hat off and dangled it teasingly away from him.

"Come'n git yer hat, if yer man enough." Malon said in an exaggerated cowboy accent. Link closed his eyes and took a quick swiped at his cap. It came easily out of Malon's hands and ended up back on Link's head. The girl pouted.

"You're no fun." She commented. "Hey, where's that princess you were babysitting?' she asked sarcastically. Realizing she'd struck a nerve, she frowned and attempted to change the subject. "Nice weather today, huh?" she giggle half-heartedly.

"Malon, I really can't talk now." Link said. He began to trudge off when Malon stopped him.

"Let me come with you! I've been so bored all day long. Puh-lease!" she begged, dragging the please on as long as she could possibly get away with. Link shook his head.

"I'm going to the market. I've got important stuff t'take care of. Maybe sometime else." He sighed. Malon was not swayed in the least.

"How about to the gate?" she asked. Link shook his head firmly. "Okay, fine. Will you come see me tomorrow?" she pleaded. Link rubbed his temples.

"Okay, fine. See ya tomorrow." He said and took off running towards the castle. Malon frowned.

"Did I lose to you, Zelda?"

It was nightfall by the time Link approached the gates. He was trying to decide of a good place to stay when the gates opened. He jumped, taken aback. The gates never opened at night. And where were the stalkids. The drawbridge came to a screeching halt, and a white horse bolted past. Link turned quickly. The riders were none other than Impa and Zelda.

"Princess!" Link yelled. He ran after the horse as fast as he could. Zelda whirled around. The look on her face was that of pure terror. Link was gaining, when he tripped and skidded to his knees.

"Link! Catch this! Don't let Ganondor-" the rest of her words were drowned out by a roll of thunder and the beginnings of rain hammering against the ground. A blue object sailed through the air. Link leapt to his feet to grab it, but it flew past his head and into the moat.

"Zelda!" he screamed. The princess was long gone. Link swallowed back threatening tears and turned to run into the moat. He was about to jump when a figure came out of the market…

It was hell personified. A man of green skin and fiery red hair rode atop a black, armored steed. The horse's whites could be seen all around the iris. The man was tall, at least six foot five. He had yellow eyes, and it only took Link a second to realize what had happened. Blood stains covered his arms, and the triforce was glowing upon his hand. It was Ganondorf, the man he'd seen the first day he met Zelda. And the girl was right. He'd betrayed them. Link could sense it.

"Boy, did you see a white horse, with a young blonde girl on it?" Ganondorf asked. His voice was deep and menacing, like it came from a monster. Link pulled his sword out.

"Like I would tell you, bastard!" he yelled. Ganondorf snickered and threw himself off the horse. He walked casually up the Link until the Kokiri could smell the blood on his arms.

"You're brave, punk, to challenge the great Ganondorf. I'll ask you again," he flexed his fingers, "which way did they go?" Link charged at Ganondorf, sword out to his side.

"Go t'hell!" he screamed. Ganondorf barely moved. He grabbed Link by the neck and hoisted him into the air. Link struggled, his air cut off. His sword fell to the ground with a clatter. Ganondorf laughed again.

"I wanted to play nice with you. And trust me, kid, I've been to hell." He said, grinning with yellow teeth. Link clawed at the man's hands furiously.

"Da…damn it. Let me go, damn it." He managed to gasp. Ganondorf squeezed tighter, causing the world to go black.

"You useless punk. You thought you could protect the princess. Well, that blade wouldn't even bruise me. How about this?" He laughed. "You go to hell for me, and tell them that Ganondorf sent you." He slung Link away using only a fraction of his power. The Kokiri slammed against the wall and dropped into the moat.

When Link regained consciousness, Ganondorf was gone, and he was in an awkward position on the small ledge in the moat. He coughed out some water and glanced wildly around for Ganondorf.

"Damn it…" he swore softly. He pulled himself onto the ledge and scanned the ground for his sword. It was lying untouched by where he'd entered the chilly waters. He picked it up and examined it cautiously. Ganondorf had stepped on it. It was bent in several places, and nearly unusable. Suddenly, he remembered the Ocarina. Dropping the useless blade, he slid into the dark waters once again. Lying thankfully unbroken at the bottom of the moat was the Ocarina of Time. He took a breath and dove down to grab it. It was cool and smooth in his hand. He crawled out of the moat and onto the grass. He picked up his sword and, with some difficulty, fumbled it into it's sheath. He had to finish.

The marketplace was oddly empty. Link's footsteps echoed eerily as he trudged towards the ancient looking church. After climbing a couple flights of stairs, he pushed the tall doors and entered the temple. It was long. A red carpet stretched it's length, and a platform was raised in the center.

"Go on, Link. See the altar?" Navi encouraged. Link nodded and ran over the platform. It felt oddly symbolic, like it would be important someday. Behind the altar was a large, carved wall. Link shuffled his bag around and placed the Spiritual Stones on the altar. Nothing happened.

"What's that song Zelda wanted me to play?" he asked. He pulled out his new ocarina and blew a note, expecting magic. Instead, a voice came to him.

_Link, when you find this, I'll be far away. Ganondorf attacked! He murdered my father and everyone in his path. Impa and I are escaping now. Please, play this song and take the Master Sword. You are the chosen one! I feel it in my soul. And Link, our paths were destined to cross. Don't worry, we'll meet again…_

As Link heard the message in his mind, a strange song began to play. Instinctively, he pulled out the Ocarina of Time and attempted to play along. He found himself playing the song over and over. Unbeknownst to him, the stones were glowing and lifting into the air. The triforce atop the wall lit, and the stone wall crumbled away to reveal a secret cavern. As the last notes of the song echoed in the church, Link opened his eyes and ran into the cavern. He was devoid of feelings except for the one driving him. Anger. He leapt up steps two at a time and came face to face with a sword buried deep in a pedestal of stone.

"Be careful." Navi cautioned. Link nodded and grasped the hilt with both hands. Pulling with all his might, the Kokiri lifted the sword lifted free of the pedestal. Blue light rushed around him. Link heard nothing as he dropped to his knees. He felt nothing as consciousness slipped away from him. All he knew were Zelda's words.

_Don't worry, we'll meet again. Don't worry…_

A/N And thus ends the first section of The Followings. (Sniffs) My little ficlet's growing up so fast. Thanks for putting up with the delay. I've got plenty more in me, so keep checking with me. Either the next or chapter after is a bonus chapter. (Eats virtual cake)


	11. Sheik

The Followings of a Hero and his Princess

Pairing: Zelink

Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda, it's characters, or the general gist of this story (kudos to Shooting star180 for letting me use your idea).

Summary: Link has been sleeping for seven years. When a mysterious boy named Sheik meets him, he's told of his fate, and given a mission he could never refuse.

A/N Okay, to make everything fit (chronologically) the bonus is next chapter. Okies, seeing as Zelda is MIA (Missing In Action), it's Sheik's turn to tag along with Link 'till they find Zellie. And don't worry, just because Zelda isn't here doesn't mean it won't be Zelink…

"I think he's conscious…" a young, male voice commented. Link heard this in the back of his mind and fought to wake up. Finally, he did. Link rubbed his eyes and glanced at his surroundings. He was in a chamber of sorts, on a floating platform. A blonde boy was standing over him. All that was visible was one red eye and the area around it. The rest of him was covered. Standing beside the boy was an older man. He had a grey walrus mustache and a long tan robe. Link sat up and stretched, feeling very different.

"Where am I?" he asked. He stopped, touching his throat. His voice was deeper. Navi flittered out of his hat and buzzed around his head. Link stood up from his platform and looked down. He was a lot further from the ground. As the realization struck him, he slowly backed down onto his seat.

"You've been asleep for seven years. You were too young to wield the Master Sword at twelve, so…" The old man said abruptly, giving no greeting. Link sat dumbstruck for several moments grasping wildly for words. Finally, his throat unclenched, and the questions came pouring out.

"Who are you? Where am I? Was I really asleep seven years? How's Saria? And the Kokiri? Why am I older? What about…" he paused, "Zelda?"

"I cannot answer all of those. My name is Raru the sage of light. You are in the chamber of sages. Yes, you are seven years older, but I cannot explain now." Raru said.

"And I'm Sheik. I'm one of the last of the Sheikah tribe. I will be your guide from here on out." Sheik said, leaving no room for interjection.

"What journey? I thought my adventures were over, except for…" he froze, a new fear washing over him.

"Ganondorf took over while you were asleep. He took the opened Chamber of Time to his adventure and took the triforce. Now, Link, it's up to you to stop him. Spread throughout Hyrule is six sages. They each protect a medallion. You must collect these medallions and strengthen yourself. Then, you can defeat Ganondorf." Raru said blatantly.  
"But I'm just one kid, er, man! How can I defeat a guy like that?" Link cried, exasperated. He felt something cold pressed into his hand. He opened it to see a small, yellow medallion.

"You are never alone. I am the sage of light, and I pass on my power to you." Raru said calmly. A bright light enveloped them.

"Wait! Don't disappear, damn it!" He shouted. However, the chamber, Raru, and the mysterious boy Sheik washed out with the light.

When Link regained sight, he was back in the Temple of Time, standing on the strange platform in the entrance. Sheik was beside him, a harp tucked under his arm.

"We should get started." Sheik said. Link gritted his teeth and planted his feet firmly on the platform.

"I just found out that I hafta defeat Ganondorf, I don't know if the princess is okay, and I'm suddenly nineteen years old. I am not going anywhere." Link snapped.

"We may need to return here for safe haven." Sheik stated randomly, ignoring Link's outburst. "If you need to bail out for some reason, play this." He said. He pulled his harp out and plucked out a poignant song.

"That's nice and all, but I don't have a harp." Link retorted wittily. Sheik replaced his harp, bored, and began to walk towards the exit, dragging Link by the shirt collar. Link yelped as his feet were drug along the ground.

"You have an ocarina, don't you genius?" the boy snapped. Link growled and attempted to dig his heels into the cracks between the stones. Sheik just dragged him effortlessly.

Out of the things that surprised Link most about being gone seven years, the marketplace was high on his list. Buildings were burned, plants trampled and killed, and the citizens were all dead. Down the path where the castle used to be, a looming fortress replaced it. And the ring of smoke around Death Mountain had become a ring of fire.

"Ganondorf." Link whispered. He reached out to a carcass and touched it lightly; feelings of regret rushing swiftly through his veins. Suddenly, the "carcass" leapt to life, it's brown mass leaping onto Link's body. It began to gnaw on his head.

"Link you idiot! That's a redead!" Sheik yelled. He whipped out a chain and sliced the beast's head off cleanly. After he was sure Link's physical safety was ensured, he paused to slip his harp onto his back.

"What the hell is that thing?" Link gasped, rubbing his head. He glanced at his hand. It was pale.

"That was a redead. The dead body of a human killed brutally sometimes acts on its own." Sheik explained as he shoved a bottle of a gooey-looking red substance at Link. "Drink. You're looking pale. I guess you're vulnerable from being out of commission." Sheik mocked. Link glared daggers at him as he uncorked the bottle. A puff of smoke rose from it.

"I bet its poison." He said. Raru had trusted the boy, though, so Link gulped it down. It tasted very spicy and slightly of mud. After nearly spitting some on Sheik's shoe, Link tossed the bottle over his shoulder. A chain shot past him and latched itself around the bottle. Sheik pulled it back and scowled.

"Don't waste bottles. They'll be useful later." He scolded like a teacher would a misbehaving child. Link had not felt this mad at a stranger since Ruto.

After making it safely out of the marketplace, Link and Sheik made camp a couple yards outside of the broken drawbridge.

"Won't the Stalkids come at night?" Link asked. He was rewarded with a pair of rolled eyes.

"You dope. Stalkids attack little kids. They wouldn't dare attack adults. Do you read?" he said mockingly. Link simply pulled his makeshift blanket further up to his chin. He was about to drift to sleep when he heard someone stand and slink away. Link honestly didn't want to know what Sheik was doing this late.

Sheik had not returned when Link woke up. So he built a small fire and roasted a random fish on a stick. He was just finishing with Sheik returned. He swept behind Link and yanked it from his hands. Link grasped and the boy dangled it just out of his reach.

"Oh Link, you shouldn't have. I'll accept your gift anyways." Sheik said. He took a big leap and landed, obscured, in a tree. Link was left to fume and cook another fish until Sheik emerged again. He dropped the stick at Link's feet.

"You're impossible." Link said, grabbing Sheik by the scarf and glaring at him face to face. He was shocked to find that the other boy was a good deal shorter than he was.

"Link, I'm glad you're so affectionate, but please let me go." The Sheikah toyed. Link released him quickly and mumbled about his dignity being scarred to himself and Navi.

After getting themselves together, Link and Sheik unwillingly (on Link's part) met and discussed the location of the next sage.

"Any bright ideas?" Link asked. Sheik shrugged. "So now you're out of responses." Link growled. He was about to suggest asking the King Zora when he felt a vibration from his bag. He shuffled around it see his Ocarina glowing. He pulled it out and was shocked to hear Saria's voice enter his head.

_Link? Help me! I'm lost in the Forest Temple. I have no idea how I got here, or how to get out. Please come quickly. _He heard. The kokiri clenched the ocarina tightly and began walking towards the forest.

"Where are you going? Are you getting telepathic messages from the goddess?" Sheik asked. Link whirled around, his eyes icy.

"My friend is in trouble, and I need to save her. I don't care if you come or not, or if I'm going off track. She's lost in the forest temple." Link said. Realization flooded into Sheiks eyes. He suddenly looked solemn.

"I'll go. But, I'm afraid you may not like what you find."

It took about a day of hard walking to reach the entrance to the Kokiri forest. Sheik grabbed Link's shoulder before he entered. Link turned around inquisitively.

"Link, whatever you see in there, you have to stay on track." He warned. Link shrugged his hand off.

"What could be that bad? A couple of Deku Shrubs? I handled those when I was twelve." He sniffed. He walked briskly into the forest, Sheik trailing a few feet. After crossing a bridge and passing through a tunnel, they found themselves in the Kokiri village. There weren't any Kokiri outside. Deku babas had overrun and leaked onto paths and gardens. Deku shrubs hopped from flower to flower, shooting harmful nuts at anything that moved. Link stood frozen.

"What happened here?" he asked, forgetting that he was trying to show his partner up by not expressing emotion. Even Sheik's words were softened as he reassured the kokiri boy.

"Let's go. Saria needs your help." He whispered, rubbing Link's shoulder. Link didn't move from his position.

"How do you know her name?" he asked.

"You'll see. Let's just get going. The sooner the better, I like to think." Sheik said, taking the lead briskly. Link followed robotically. They climbed a little ways and entered the lost woods.

"You're turn to use your brain." Sheik offered. Link closed his eyes and racked his brain for the pathway. He saw Saria's smiling face and the path came to him.

"She taught it to me, a long time ago, and made me promise not to forget." He explained and took a sharp turn. They twisted through the various tunnels, pausing once for Link to get his act together, and came to the clearing.

"Now all that's left is a simple maze and a couple deku shrubs." Link said. He walked proudly to the entrance.

"Link wait! Use your brain!" Sheik cried. His attempts were in vain. Link's eyes widened and he was barreled over by a pig-like moblin with a sharp spear. Sheik flung several needles successively into the monster. It groaned and died, collapsing with a large thud on poor Link. Sheik leaned exasperated over Link as he shoved the moblin off.

"Okay, that wasn't there last time." He admitted.

A/N Okay, I'm sorry it's crappy but I had to introduce Sheik and keep the story moving some way. Next chapter will be better, I promise! Review, please.


End file.
